- Roundhouse Kick are a Portuguese couple apparently obsessed with hardware. Using a set of bouncy Trax-style drums, they carve out mini-epics that reconcile the textural obsessions of experimental synth music with the DIY spirit of the house underground. However, on their debut for Photonz' One Eyed Jack imprint, they replace lo-fi with deep house luxury.
"Arm1x" feels like it's setting the stage for something big, with its rolling drums and anxious melodies, but never quite gets there. Instead, it eventually sideswipes into a simple key change before fading to its unsettling synth riff. It's rousing and quieting at the same time, keeping you on your toes by not doing much at all. Given its warm palette, Huntleys & Palmers' Auntie Flo seems like a natural fit for the remix, but instead of spreading his sunny disposition over the track the Glasgow producer turns "Arm1x" into a mallet anthem worthy of Pantha Du Prince. (His dub is better, allowing the original's playful percussion to burst from the tightly knit seams.) "Industrial Dreams" offers more to sink your teeth into with its insistent arpeggios showing that you can reuse retro textures without harkening back to a specific era.
Tracklist A1 ARM1X
A2 Industrial Dream
B1 ARM1X (Auntie Flo Remix)
B2 ARM1X (Auntie Flo Dub)