- Until recently MGUN's name was always prefaced with his Underground Resistance affiliation, but now it's fair to say that Manuel Gonzalez is formidable in his own right, having released consistently strong EPs for Wild Oats, The Trilogy Tapes and Don't Be Afraid. His latest EP (and his third for Don't Be Afraid) is a collection of uninhibited acid tracks that's easily the equal of last year's If You're Reading This, and shows that Gonzalez has no shortage of ideas, or deft ways to execute them.
MGUN's EPs never stick to just one mood, and Resin is no exception. The jaunty arpeggios of "Assumptions" seem to rise and tumble from under a cloud of steam, making for a claustrophobic opening that's quite at odds with what follows. Living up to its name, "Funkshun" is machine-funk with a sensual edge to its robotic groove. In contrast to that track's forward momentum, the acid lines on the beatless "Flutter" swirl prettily, and "90 Sumtin" reprises the relaxed vibe with impressionistic synth curlicues and spry chords dotted over a bouncy groove. The mood shifts again on the more vital and urgent "Migraine," with acid lines careening in all directions and jittering drum-machine hits. If Resin sounds like a mixed bag rather than a coherent EP, it never feels like one. His trick here, as elsewhere, is to write grooves so infectious they sound timeless.
TracklistA1 Asssumptions
A2 Funkshun
A3 Migraine
B1 Flutter
B2 In The Road
B3 90 Sumtin