- A promising newcomer delivers a touching blend of techno and electro.
- Afrodeutsche's favourite film is Blade Runner, which shouldn't surprise anyone who's heard her new EP. RR001, the first release on a new label from Eclair Fifi, is deep and spacey, drawing from techno and electro in a way similar to more minimal-minded producers dotted throughout the world. But where many of those artists favour quick tempos and lean structures, Afrodeutsche isn't afraid of melody, pairing chords and basslines with grooves that roll at house tempo. Recalling parts of Sleeparchive's Skanfrom catalogue, it makes for cosmic music loaded with feeling.
In interviews, Afrodeutsche has mentioned an "obsession" with Drexciya and played at least one gig in an Underground Resistance t-shirt, which makes it easy to pinpoint her influences. But there's more to RR001 than revivalism. "I Know Not What I Do" and "Make The Call" are both thick with melody, as though Afrodeutsche has poured her soul onto their rhythms. Sometimes the synths cloak the track in fog, other times they zap between the beats. But they always work in harmony, the shifting chords and tones gathering more character as the percussion rolls. Only "Phase Two," a drum track, is stripped down, its classic drum machine samples sounding like some Dance Mania B-side, only 10 BPM slower. "Drink," the shortest track, could've been twice as long—its snake-charming bassline is the EP's best. But the short length also highlights an off-the-cuff feel, a quality that extends across the entire EP. This is purist music that feels remarkably honest, a refreshing combination.
TracklistA1 I Know Not What I Do
A2 Make The Call
B1 Drink
B2 Phase Two