- A Brooklyn-based artist who has delved deep into industrial, noise, techno and lo-fi recording techniques over the past three years, Nick Klein released a number of cassettes and a couple of small-run records prior to The Lonesome Dealer. This four-track EP, for Helm's experimental label Alter, sounds like both a distillation and a refinement of the music that came before it, even as it introduces new elements. Klein has said his movements between London, Miami and New York and the "freedom to produce on a computer" affected his new music, and the difference is clear. Every sound used here feels warm and homemade but also intentional, blending a loose tropical bounce with dark techno propulsion.
"Chats With Lucy," "Christian Rock Concert" and "Pain Management Resource" make the most of Klein's sound, if only because they're the weirdest of the bunch. Ramshackle synth sequences zig-zag through punchy 4/4 kicks; gurgles of acidic bass smear the percussion in filth and dread; malfunctioning hardware approximates reggaeton in a wind tunnel. Off-kilter as Klein makes his rugged beats and synths sound, they're always primed for a go on the dance floor—and well worth a try, too. Only "Do You Want To Crash?" might be a bit much in the average mix. Cacophonous to a fault and moving at a sluggish 100 BPM, the track's main asset is a shiny little synth figure that pops in and out over the noise. The Lonesome Dealer is at its best when Klein gives his strange inclinations some kind of groove.
TracklistA1 Chats With Lucy
A2 Christian Rock Concert
B1 Do You Want To Crash?
B2 Pain Management Resource