- A colourful reissue of early Belgian techno.
- Lhasa was a short-lived project from Alain Raes, a producer who had a Belgian new beat hit with 1990's "The Attic." (It was reissued earlier this year on STROOM.) Before a three-record run on Music Man Records, which began with "The Attic," there was Acetabularia, a 1988 12-inch that Raes self-released while serving the military. Although partly informed by the new beat scene that Raes has said he "despised," that debut EP also feels influenced by the Technicolour sound of Juan Atkins' Metroplex label. This reissue on Dark Entries highlights this early chapter, unearthing four demos that show Raes's project in a new light.
"Acetabularia" and its dubby cousin, "Acetatechno," sound naïve, a quality that makes them hard to resist. Blending samples from Dr. Strangelove with vocals from Raes's close friend and collaborator Kris Tremmery, there's a hint of '80s Cold War menace, heard in brassy blasts and vocals like "the ultimate weapon." But that menace is tempered by squeaky synths and rude basslines.
The four unreleased tracks are even better. Recorded live, they're limber and spontaneous. "Into The Desert," drawn from the same sessions that produced "The Attic," is a new beat track with speedy techno drums. "Gather Like Dust" is a frantic rush with a thrilling breakbeat midsection. (It was a rejected follow-up to "The Attic.") "Premonition" is more leisurely, in line with the slower tempos heard in Belgium at the time.
In the liner notes for the reissue of The Attic, Raes said that he was "part of a scene without really taking part in it." His lack of interest meant that Lhasa petered out after 1991. But Raes's noncommittal, outsider nature allowed him to avoid tunnel vision and combine sounds in a unique way. That attitude makes Acetabularia a treasure for fans of Belgian dance music and early '90s techno.
TracklistA1 Acetabularia
A2 Acetatechno
A3 Into The Desert
B1 Gather Like Dust
B2 Premonition
B3 The Call