- The suave and sexy UK artist tries on Belgian new beat, electro and EBM.
- Last year's Poppa Zesque was Josh Caffé's sexual liberation through the lens of an alter ego. Free World, his first EP for Cormac's Polari label, finds enlightenment by rifling through costumes from musical eras past. The UK producer mentions his love for Belgian new beat in the release notes, and "Dress Up," the sleazy closer with goofy vocals, choral pads and wiggly sub bass—think Nine Inch Nails' Pretty Hate Machine—lives up to the idea. Hiding behind voice effects and distortion, as well as the ghosts of queer history, Caffé finds even more room to express himself in these musical games of dress-up.
Free World's highlight is "Square Wave," a deliciously silly electro number somewhere between James Stinson's first release as Clarence and late '80s releases on Detroit label Transmat. The groove is choppy and the vocals are flamboyant, nailing that suave, night-drive feel of Juan Atkins' best early releases. "Voyeur" is an over-the-top techno jam with a robotic vocal croaking, "sex is good," while the title track takes us back to late '80s Brussels with glittering arpeggios that stick out like veins in bulging biceps. Tongue in cheek but deadly serious about its reverence for these sounds, Free World requires you to engage in the same suspension of disbelief as the producer. These are humourous and heavily banging tracks, the kind of sweet spot where you can make fun of something but also recognise why it's great.
Tracklist01. Free World
02. Square Wave
03. Voyeur
04. Dress Up