The Analogue Cops - Monkey Suits

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  • The Analogue Cops found an unlikely home for their rough-and-tumble house in Hypercolour. The UK label's vinyl-only offshoot, HYPE LTD, has hosted two of the Italians' most lighthearted records yet, and now Lucretio and Marieu are debuting on the main imprint. Called Monkey Suits, the record's title hints at just how upbeat they've become, and it sure enough sounds like the duo chomped down a few extra happy pills. Marieu gets warm and retro; Lucretio builds slamming techno around 8-bit video game soundtracks, a move so ridiculous that it needs to be heard to be believed. "Vampire Killer" is easily one of the most audacious A1s of the year. Lucretio lays down a pounding rhythm track, but the bassline sounds kind of funny. Thin and bit-crushed, it eventually grows into the entire 8-bit theme from Vampire Killer, an early game in the Castlevania series, which sits remarkably well in a techno chassis. Though the production is silly, Lucretio's quasi-anthemic treatment of it is hard to argue with, especially once he starts pulling the drums in and out. He flips the formula for the more reflective "Shinobi World," where the 8-bit arpeggios flutter sweetly over softer percussion. This time the song he's sampling is more dynamic, and there's a delightful pomp-and-circumstance to its bleepy somersaults and twirls. Marieu taps into a less flashy sort of nostalgia for his side of the record. "McGraw" is a raw breakbeat track built on drums that sound as if they've been sitting in an attic for decades. Screaming vocal cut-ups add to the frenzy, and like the best of his productions, the roughness is endearing. "Corona" dials down the energy, settling into a vintage techno groove that whooshes like a cooling fan. Marieu's tracks are a solid addition to the catalogue, while Lucretio's are some of the best bearing the Analogue Cops name.
  • Tracklist
      A1 Lucretio - Vampire Killer A2 Lucretio - Shinobi World B1 Marieu - Corona B2 Marieu - McGraw
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