Motor City Drum Ensemble - Sun Sequence

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  • If the title to Danilo Plessow's last 12-inch as Motor City Drum Ensemble ("Raw Cuts") was the key to unlocking its sound before putting needle to wax, look no further than the label name on this one. Four Roses implies a bit of cultivation, a bit of beauty, a bit of forethought. Whereas both "Raw Cuts" were exercises in the immediate joy of cutting up soul samples, "Sun Sequence" and "Feel the Love" are nothing if not composed pieces of Detroit-inflected techno. "Sun" is the more immediate of the pair, pushing a pounding kick throughout while a five-note riff pulses incessantly away. Plessow garnishes, but not liberally, instead opting to go the DJ tool route. The elements are simple, but the rewards are high, as it does nearly all the work you might ask of it, gradually building to an unbearable buzz and then fading away slowly Carl Craig-like into the distance. As German-crafted deep Detroit techno goes, Plessow may not be at "Stoned Autopilot" territory yet, but give him a few years and he may drop something just as massive. "Feel the Love" goes slower and deeper, burying quite possibly the longest sustained chord of the year underneath clippity-clop percussion and various vocal samples. It's busier than Cassy's work, but she's a solid point of comparison: Plessow loves the human voice and uses here as rhythmic device, just as much as the kick. Warming up the crowd? You could do worse.
  • Tracklist
      A Sun Sequence B Feel the Love
RA