- When it rains, it pours. In addition to normal business practices, New York's Thema has two new sublabels in the off this summer. The first is Spacial, which "Combined with various remix projects, outtakes and B-sides from the parent and
digital labels...will function as a showcase for some of the more esoteric creations from our ever expanding roster of artists." The second? A bit less confusing: Vinyl-only. You can excuse the open-ended nature of the label, though, if you give its first release a listen.
While it's a coherent batch of tracks, SPCL 01 offers up a varied enough sound palette to appeal to a number of different DJs. Quenum's "Late Night" remix of Lad's "Who's Afraid of Bob?" is a strident bit of minimal that's cut through with a wavery bit of melody that is closest in sound to a theremin. Quenum's sound design is impeccable, mixing and matching digital with grittier bits and pieces that give the track a depth of sound. Monotron's "Material," meanwhile, is a straightforward bit of melodic techno that lazes about, hiding its tasteful congas in the corners where they're barely perceptible. Ernesto Ferrerya's rework of "Already Dead" caps it all off with a cross between the two tracks that have preceded it: Deep organ pads warm you up, skittering percussion and subtle panning of recurring elements never let you forget that there's a machine hard at work as well.
TracklistA1 LAD - Who's Afraid Of Bob? (Quenum's 'Late Night' remix)
A2 Monotron - Material
B Beaner - Already Dead (A California Gothic) (Ernesto Ferreyra's reinterpretation)