- Bepotel is a live techno trio consisting of Vlek's resident dance floor botherer Sagat and fellow Belgians &Apos and Walrus. Past releases from the outfit have formed a neat bridge between the somnolent but playful house of Workshop and Vlek's cross-genre beat music. For their first release on Vlek—following an assortment of self-released oddments and an appearance on Meakusma—the trio tone down their wayward tendencies in favour of a more streamlined club sound.
The results lack the skewed charm that defines much of Vlek's discography, but they're certainly not without merit. "Kikkerkelik" best balances dependable dance floor dynamics with a pervasive weirdness: its stern warehouse style is subtly undermined by the odd, gloopy synths that play across its surface. "Kaketu" works with similar ingredients but is straighter, while periodic blasts of airy chords should serve to ventilate the floor. Wafty Detroit number "Swth Central" feels a little too staid, but it's offset by "Wormhole," a claggy synth outerlude that suggests Bepotel's far-out inclinations still lurk beneath the surface.
TracklistA1 Kikkerkelik
A2 Kaketu
B1 Swth Central
B2 Wormhole