Holger Zilske - Acid Test 04

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  • After records from Tin Man, Achterbahn D'Amour and Donato Dozzy, Los Angeles' Absurd label continues its Acid Test series with Berlin's Holger Zilske, AKA Smash TV, a veteran of the Playhouse label. As on previous records in the series, Zilske exploits acid's ability to stretch out and fit a variety of tempos. Slow and skulking, "É Preciso Acreditar" models itself after Plastikman's "Plastique," with rapidfire 808 tattoos drumming nervously against an evil, octave-jumping 303 growl. The press release says the track was made using only a 303, SH-101 and 808, but that's not quite true: one of the track's dominant elements is the spoken-word fragment, "É preciso acreditar" ("you must believe"), and it's actually the track's lone misstep. Repeated so frequently, and run through a downpitched beat-repeat effect, it ends up distracting from the focused intensity of the track. Pushing the tempo up to 122 or so, John Tejada preserves the track's electro-like lurch and overall ominous vibe; beyond the tempo shift, his main intervention is the addition of some modular squiggle, while in his dub version, he hones in on crisp hi-hats and swollen sub-bass. Axel Boman, as you might expect, ventures further afield, with bright, housey chords smoothing over a bumptious 808 groove and a fake-out breakdown that fades briefly to total silence before kicking back in; the track's second half does away with the balmy keyboards, leaving just drums, bass and a massing drone chirping away against a gaping emptiness, showing the perfect balance between restraint and druggy mayhem.
  • Tracklist
      A É Preciso Acreditar B1 É Preciso Acreditar (John Tejada Remix) B2 É Preciso Acreditar (Axel Boman Remix)
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