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0:00/1:04
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0:00/7:04
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0:00/7:52
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0:00/7:12
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This Is For U 6:590:00/6:59
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0:00/6:23
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Track 3 Wasteland 6:050:00/6:05
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0:00/9:08
‘This is a top-quality three-tracker, like a soundtrack for a future dystopian world, with glimmers of light among the robotic precision. It has shades of classic Detroit beauty but with a London edge, synonymous with Carl Grant and Tony Gallagher’s previous work as LA Synthesis. All three mixes (two from Grant and Gallagher) would rip up a dance floor or sound equally suitable as cerebral massaging listening material. No punches were pulled on the main mix. From the get-go, they dive head-first into tough, infectious Machine Funk. The bassline smoulders under sharp but groove-led drum breaks, like a growling panther in the shadows. The mood is quickly lifted by otherworldly strings and synth stabs that intertwine and develop throughout the changing soundscape. Subtle shifts in drum programming and sound synthesis keep you listening throughout. Carl Grant's Amanacer mix is a smoother, more contemplative take, with more space and air in the mix and a slightly more house-influenced rhythm section, including a cheeky cowbell. Tony Gallagher’s remix sees the addition of an acid line twisting and morphing through a cleaner, stripped-back sound. It’s a perfect accompaniment for the electro-influenced drum programming, which cuts through layers of expansive strings.’The overall effect is a journey through a dark yet strangely beautiful landscape where the human element is almost lost among the cold, mechanical precision. It’s a testament to the skill and vision of Grant and Gallagher, and a tantalizing glimpse into a future where man and machine are indistinguishable.
Reviewed by Jane Travis