…friday night. busy week behind you. need to relax a bit before the effort of a night out. can’t get too blissed out though, wont wanna move otherwise…
enter aeromaschine with his sandy house ep for german connoisseur imprint, baalsaal records: it’s a big package that has plenty of lush lateral synths to take you down, but which also has a metropolitan percussive clatter to keep you from sinking too far down . google has rather betrayed me when it comes to finding much out about alin ‘aeromaschine’ crihan (other than the fact’s he romanian) but all three of the original tracks he offers here mean i’ll be keeping out a keen eye in the future.
‘debunking random myths’ opens things with some panning ambiance and circling synths before a throbbing sub bass eventually brings the motion. for the next seven minutes the focus is on rhythmic workout, where smart claps and silvery snaps jiggle and dance around the bassline like moths round a lamp. although once set there are few surprises, the looseness of the rhythm section is what keeps your shoulders dropping, head nodding and feet tapping to this track with it’s every next step.
much less content with itself is ‘not so’ where the sounds linger long-time, the claps grow ever more agitated and paranoid as they go, and eventually a thick acid line says enough is enough before whipping the gloom’s ass with much more purpose. there’s chicago attitude but detroit soul and it’s that duality which makes the track so appealing. equally appealing is pretty much everything staines house godfather bearweasel ever does, with the warm lazy dub mix (of a track you get on the digi version) he contributes here no exception.
full-as-you-like kicks thud thud thud from the off, their groovy patter rolling ever deeper whilst dynamic synths endlessly diffuse in the background. you’re only gently nudged from the ensuing hazy revere by some delightful digital raindrops which drip down from above at the breakdown, only for the snug drums to return and loop to infinity (or eight minutes) and beyond. this man is one forever honing his sound – a smoky, woody, basement dub vibe which offers much more warmth than the colder, more metallic and techno derived faire of the likes of echochord, luke hess et al – and i for one am glad he is.
the final cut is pretty much directionless (in a good way) and drifts round in the same warm house puddle throughout, with only a sparingly used marvin gaye sample for company. it’s slo-mo, it’s sexy, and it makes you wanna go ‘aawwww yeaaaaaah.’ buyers of a digital persuasion get three bonus tracks into the bargain. what’s not to love?