- Derrick Carter, Justin Cudmore and others whip up some sweaty and strangely hypnotic grooves on this excellent remix EP.
- Nate Manic has been in dance music for a long time now, and the music on his new label, Quaint But Extra, has an almost rootsy sound to reflect that. His self-titled album from earlier this year was full of deep jacking grooves and vulnerable but sometimes uplifting vocals, touching heavily on the Chicago side of things (where he had a long-term gig as the booker at smartbar). This new remix EP, the label's first vinyl release, features two equally inveterate artists alongside two younger guns. Between them, they tease out new and sometimes surprising grooves from Nate Manic's robust source material.
The key word for side A is "minimal," without the vowels. You never quite know what you're going to get with a Derrick Carter remix, and his version of "It's Never Easy" is strange and swampy, with a carnivelesque rhythm and zany bassline that reminds me of early Seth Troxler mixes. On the other hand, Circus Company royalty Guillaume and the Coutu Dumonts' remix resists the urge to go retro. He delivers an extremely funky rework of "Late For Work," compressing the vocal hook down to a few syllables and loading the track up with dazzling runs courtesy of a bassline that doesn't so much walk as it does zig-zag and pirouette.
The flip is given over to the new guard, with two versions of album highlight "You Will Not Ruin Me," a personal and triumphant track with a "Transition"-style inspirational vocal. In Justin Cudmore's hands it becomes a typically loopy acid banger with a mid-'80s flavor (think Adonis). The vocals here are assertive and forceful, while on Los Angeles producer Lindsey Herbert's effort they become part of the track's heady techno fabric, a voice in the chaos that reminds you of the important things: "inspire, care for, honor and uplift."
Tracklist01. It's Never Easy (Derrick Carter Remix)
02. Late For Work (Guillaume and the Coutu Dumonts Remix)
03. You Will Not Ruin Me (Justin Cudmore Remix)
04. You Will Not Ruin Me (Lindsey Herbert Remix)