- There was a time, around the turn of the century, when Alexkid was ubiquitous; certainly everything on Laurent Garnier's F-Comm label appeared to have an Alexkid remix on it. Although he's still a prolific remixer, Alexis Mauri's original releases have reduced to a murmur—until now. With the Avocado EP, Ovum have offered the Parisian artist a chance to return to a label he first worked with back in 2000.
The avocado of the EP's title has its provenance in an in-joke between Mauri and Ovum boss Josh Wink. That's all the information they've provided, but there's certainly a soft and creamy texture to both tracks. In the case of "The Dope" that means meandering, bubbly house whose best asset is a schizoid bassline that pops, jerks and pivots like its being driven along a cobbled street. At nigh on nine minutes, it's too long—nothing new happens past the six-minute mark.
"For Josh"—sounds quite the bromance doesn't it?—is briefer, with Mauri partaking in mild acid that's offset by muted, ghostly synths. It's wrapped in another notable bassline, albeit more sinuous and less fractured than the one on "The Dope." It's an understated and tool-like EP, but Alexkid's battle-hardened skills give it a satisfying lustre.
TracklistA1 The Dope
B1 For Josh