- "The Spirit," a track by Butch and his production partner Hohberg, is a high point on Butch's solid recent Watergate 18 mix, and it now gets the full release it deserves. Clocking in at over ten minutes, it has plenty of time to bed in, its hypnotic key loop leading it up several mini peaks in the opening minutes. The track explodes halfway in with a crescendo of pads and pin-sharp drums that hold until an equally dramatic beatless closing segment.
Swiss pair Adriatique tone down the original's vivid peak-time colour in their "7am Remix," turning in sleepy techno that flickers by in second gear. It's pleasant but doesn't hold the attention beyond a few listens. The solo Butch cut "Shahrzad" begins with pads that reminded me of Blondes' gorgeous "Elise (Vidis Tool)." Where that track's melodies are Eastern-sounding, "Shahrzad" features Arabic horns, which are intertwined with distorted vocal croaks and snapping drums. Slow and inviting, it's another good reason to pick up an EP that could easily have just been about the A-side.
Tracklist01. The Spirit feat. Hohberg
02. The Spirit feat. Hohberg (Adriatique Remix)
03. Shahrzad