- Blotter Trax, the newly formed collaboration of Magda and T.B. Arthur, pairs a minimalist with someone who makes acid tracks that are harder and hairier than most. The results on their self-titled debut are as you might expect: not as rowdy as previous T.B. Arthur records, nor as slender as older Magda material. More than anything, Blotter Trax sounds like a recalibration of T.B. Arthur's pounding style. But the off-key melodies of the untitled B2 suggest that Magda isn't merely holding back her studio partner's wild tendencies. The EP's 303 lines squiggle and belch in damp atmospheres, sometimes evoking a supernatural presence.
The howls and burps in the A1's background are obvious signs of the ghosts in the duo's machines. There's a ton of reverb on the track, strategically deployed on claps and hats to stretch the rhythm. That approach loses some steam on the A2, which feels thinner and sketch-like. Listening to Blotter Trax brought to mind Tin Man, who cuts even more fat from his acid tracks. When a catchy melody is at the centre of his tracks, it can be enough to hold your ear. On the B2, Magda and T.B. Arthur tease a deliriously fun melodic phrase, but then they abandon it to noodle over the beat. Blotter Trax can sometimes feel more like a compromise than a synergy of ideas, but there are enough of them to suggest that another EP would be worth hearing.
TracklistA1 Untitled
B1 Untitled
B2 Untitled