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.
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.
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