- The late Martin Dawson was something of a house music super-producer, someone who could bring the best out of other artists, from Glimpse to Catz & Dogz to Jay Shepheard, all the while building a solid discography under his own name and as King Roc. There was clearly something about working with Giles Smith as Two Armadillos, though, that brought the best out of him. Rather than aping the artists Smith and secretsundaze have long admired—Delano Smith, Chez Damier et al.—this pair built their own house. The results have always been elegant and pithy, hitting the sweet spot without ever resorting to the norm.
Golden Age Thinking, which combines three previously released EPs with three new tracks, bares this out. A year after its initial release, the motorik tech of "Ronin" still swamps you with glee when any DJ drops it. The spiralling hypnosis of "Theme" and the nagging melancholia of "Flatlining" draw similar reactions. Key to their effectiveness is how well-crafted everything is. None of the sounds are muddled and everything has its own place in the mix, so the results are smooth, streamlined and often meditative.
Harder cuts like "Phantom" are fine things to lose yourself in come the witching hour, but the more tender moments are where Two Armadillos really excelled. The downtempo numbers, with a bit of extra space and room to breath, allow the human element to shine through: you can hear very real emotions in the way the keys are played so delicately, or the way a bass is strummed so sombrely.
The exclusive cuts on Golden Age Thinking range from corrugated and urgent ("Floating Fast") to unnervingly stagnant ("Black Dahlia"). "Roller Skating" is like "Ronin" after too much sugar, but the crystalline bassline, offset as usual with a more heart-warming sound, never grows too coarse. Though more immediate and direct, these late additions to the album sit well in the overall picture, and show that Two Armadillos were still very much in their prime.
Tracklist01. A Walk In The Park
02. Flatlining
03. Black Dahlia
04. Roller Skate
05. Theme
06. Floating Fast
07. Ronin
08. Phantom
09. Detroit Dancer
10. These Feelings
11. Another One For Larry
12. Majestic