- The sonic dystopias of Mono Junk and Forbidden Planet have plenty in common. During Mono Junk's most prolific spell, in the '90s, his spasmodic synths, bleach-scrubbed melodies and stern acid lines—particularly on his own label, DUM—were hearty fare for techno DJs. Forbidden Planet records often feel attuned to the fast, paranoid thrash of that period, though the label seems more interested in reimagining that epoch than reviving it.
Kimmo Rapatti's second EP for Forbidden Planet does, however, have a trace of the past. A remix of "Channel B," a Mono Junk track that first surfaced in 1995 on Trope Recordings, appears here. The track's familiar church bells are now joined by a few synth notes—sometimes played loud, other times quietly—at the expense of the original's bubbling percussion. "Prince Of The Night"'s spiky synth melody, which moves like an erratic polygraph, punctuates a persuasive groove that recalls Blake Baxter's "When A Thought Becomes U." The EP's other highlight is "Maaliskuu," which brings together another squiggle of synths and some muggy ambient notes. "Suomen Moroderit Theme" is the friendliest track, but the aloofness of the others is a lot more appealing.
TracklistA1 Prince Of The Night
A2 Suomen Moroderit Theme
B1 Channel B Rmx (Co-written by Roberto Bosco)
B2 Maaliskuu