- Optimo Music may be an electronic label, but it's always flirted with dance music rather than embracing it. Saxophonist Peter Gordon's collaboration with Nik Colk Void and Gabe Guernsey of Factory Floor, "Beachcombing," is one of 2013's standout avant-garde tracks, while Golden Teacher's Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night melded dub and acid with a strong West African influence.
Optimo Trax, JD Twitch's new club-oriented sub-label, allows him to indulge his taste for acid house and techno. Though they exploit techno's mesmeric repetition and relentless momentum, both "Abacus" and "Tracer" boast the expansive qualities associated with Optimo, with colourful acid lines and throbbing kicks. "Exile" aims for something more introspective, but falls flat; it's uncluttered to a fault. L/F/D/M is most successful when he ups the energy levels. Darting acid synths and a supercharged bassline make "Circuit Sweat" a highlight of Purple Maps, while "Greyscale" combines drums straight out of the DFA handbook with caustic synth stabs to thrilling effect.
TracklistA1 Tracer
A2 Abacus
B1 Circuit Sweat
B2 Greyscale
B3 Exile In the 9th