Terence Fixmer - Le Terrible

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  • By now, Frenchman Terence Fixmer is entrenched on Speedy J's Electric Deluxe imprint (and many others, too). This latest release is a good example of why. The title track leads off with a shivering bassline, one that's remarkably similar to that of Perc & Giorgio Gigli's "0165" under the Endless moniker. Like many genre tropes, it's probably been replicated—whether intentionally or not—for the simple fact that it works. Its chilly vibrations are crucial in establishing the track's dank atmosphere. Whereas "Concept" on the B-side carries a ghostlier feel, "Le Terrible" is distinctly industrial, with an ominous chiming on every off beat. The only melodic element of real note is—well...I don't really know what it is. A glassy tapping? A digitised frog croak? Whatever the case, this ineffable timbre vascillates grudgingly through the scale, commanding nearly all the tension as it goes. On the other side, "Concept" is no more friendly. Its central feature is a series of extended wails, like a far-off train whistle. Fixmer weaves these unnerving noises with great cunning, slipping them out from underneath the heavier parts and bringing their full power to bear while the fading tail of the previous spectre is still holding attention. It's a kind of sleight of sound, rather than hand. With the determined power of Fixmer's two tracks in mind, Marcel Dettman's remix of "Dance Like Paranoid" feels a little uninspired. It begins flatly, and Dettman never quite manages—or wants—to overcome this, with the original's heavy bell work relegated to a background thrum and towering waves of sandy white-noise washing rhythmically over it. "Le Terrible" though? Far from it.
  • Tracklist
      01. Le Terrible 04. Le Terrible (Tool)
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