- Modeselektor originally founded their Monkeytown label in order to release the work of their friend Siriusmo. For anyone following in his wake, that sets the bar rather high, or at least wide, given how esoteric Mo's work can be. Southern California's eLan is clearly up to the task; on his third EP for the label this year, he goes nearly as far out, but without ever losing the plot. Never simply zany for the sake of being zany, his is a controlled weirdness backed by solid and surprisingly musical ideas. As the title "2in5four" suggests, you may not make much headway parsing the finer points of its stumbling 5/4 rhythm, but that doesn't keep you from nodding contentedly along to the glowing, '80s-inflected melodies—a "purple wow" sound refracted through the prism of Miami Vice.
"Blackout" continues with the fluo-boogie vibes, with greased-up chords sliding over a Dilla-schooled lurch; the track's switchbacking sense of direction keeps you engaged from the first beat to the final blush of the DX7. The same could be said of "Down 4 You" and "Next 2 Last," which stake out a position somewhere between Dabrye's 8-bit shenanigans and Floating Points' loved-up slow-jams. Modeselektor remixes "Bleep Bloop Brrrmmp," originally released two EPs back, into an apocalyptic grind at 92 beats per minute. Finally, Anstam turns "Saccharin on Top" into a weirdly compelling synth-and-samples workout that ought to appeal to Brainfeeder fans.
Tracklist 01. Blackout
02. Next 2 Last
03. Down 4 You
04. 2in5four
05. Bleep Bloop Brrrrmmp (Modeselektor Remix)
06. Saccharin On Top (Anstam Remix)