- A.Luk and Lida P's debut as Minimal Violence was impressive. Last year's Heavy Slave positioned them as raw post-punks rubbing against the grain of the Vancouver house scene's new age leanings. Their murky music hit hard and fast, with precocious drum programming and unnerving melodies. With practice, the duo opened up: April's split EP on Jungle Gym Records showed a brighter side, channelling some of their aggression and darkness into funk and classic house. Untitled, Minimal Violence's first vinyl release, takes things further for their most confident and engaging work yet.
The title track is the most obvious example of how the duo has mellowed. It moves at a steady chug, drum fills carefully hitting all the pleasure points. Woozy melodies coat the background, and as always, the song slowly builds, boosting the rhythm section for the second half and adding some welcome cowbell. The same goes for "Glacial Drift": what begins like slowed-down electro bursts to life at the halfway mark with some killer handclaps and a ghostly chord progression. The other tracks on Untitled hew closer to the duo's earlier work, but with clearer heads and defter touches. "Eros & Thanatos" is Chicago house obscured by smog, while "Youth At Night" indulges a darker side with a pseudo-tribal rhythm that feels like a techno edit of Joy Division's "Atrocity Exhibition." For a dance music duo so influenced by post-punk, it's hard to imagine a better compliment.
TracklistA1 Under The Sign Of Saturn
A2 Eros & Thanatos
B1 Youth At Night
B2 Glacial Drift