- The fourth record on Use Of Weapons, Deep Space Orchestra's label, is also its inaugural compilation. With their proven track record on labels like Instruments Of Rapture, 6th Borough Project, AKA Craig Smith and The Revenge, take the A1 slot. "Estranged Lover" moves at a slow trot, taking a curt guitar loop and gradually wriggling its way deep into the brain, a female croon and perky tuba bass greasing the way. Fans of Josef Jaktmark's "Breathless," on Crime City Disco, should dig the similarly sunny vibe offered here.
If 6th Borough Project's effort recalls summer, then Haku's is all about autumn. With its intricate combo of brush-hit snares and meandering piano, "Rugo" sounds like the falling of so many withered leaves. This feeling is amplified by the melancholic wind instruments which provide the track's delicate backdrop. It's a triumph of details, lots and lots of them, with sprightly bass and synths completing the masterful arrangement.
Andy Ash's dogged "Somehow" pastes various vintage-sounding samples onto a heavily swung beat. Not disco or funk samples, but old radio and concert grabs, with crowd noise included. When it's not doing this, it's essentially a pretty basic piece of filter house, depending on a single pulsing tone to maintain interest. Last is the label bosses, DSO, with the quirky "Erase Everything." Though they're carefully arranged, its cheeky synths almost seem random. Bouncing playfully off one another, these bloops, arps and chubby bass notes invite the best kind of dance floor silliness. It's a fitting conclusion to Use Of Weapons 004, a compilation that's both distinctive and varied.
Tracklist A1 Deep Space Orchestra - Erase Everything
A2 6th Borough Project - Estranged Lover
B1 Haku - Rugo
B2 Andy Ash - Somehow