- Regular listeners of DJ Fett Burger's Trushmix should be familiar with SJ Tequilla. The Berlin-based Japanese DJ is one of just a few Trushees to have appeared in the series more than once. SJ Tequilla's association with the Sex Tags universe is strengthened with Conditionel, his debut 12-inch, for DJ Fett Burger and Jayda G's Freakout Cult label. It shows off SJ Tequilla's deftness for intricate house arrangements.
You can hear this on "Conditionel 01," which starts with a hazy whisper reminiscent of Terekke. Yet instead of drifting, SJ Tequilla uses this as a launchpad for an enveloping and detailed house production. Crisp drums soon take centre stage, complemented by astoundingly pretty chord arrangements and a bassline that makes you want to lie back and let it soak in. The melancholy dissipates on "Conditionel 02," replaced by an infectious vibrancy that spreads outwards. The percussion feels perky and the keys sound like they were played with a smile, while flashes of chords practically beam Vitamin D out of the speakers.
Halfway through the excellent and booming "Sweet Salt," SJ Tequilla throws in a neat homage to Richard D. James, lifting samples from the phone pranks that end his Caustic Window LP. This same vocal sample appears looped and delayed in the closing "False Indigo Mix" from Jayda G and DJ Dog (AKA Fett Burger), but it appears "Conditionel 01" is the collaboration's main source material. That same air of melancholy hangs over this version, further embellished by the twilight synth freestyles that gradually engulf the spotlight.
TracklistA1 Conditionel 01
A2 Conditionel 02
B1 Sweet Salt
B2 DJ Dog & Jayda G's False Indigo Mix