Rudy's Midnight Machine - Ecstatic Love Glow

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  • Rudy's Midnight Machine comprises one-half of Faze Action, Robin Lee. This is perfectly audible in the music, which differs little in tone to the abiding glow of one of contemporary disco's most popular acts. And that's a good thing, for it's a record that struts confidently along a deep groove cut from seasoned funk-forging. As the gurgling bass sets pace in "Ecstatic Love Glow," I'm compelled to recall scenes from Super Fly—the camera panning up gradually to reveal Ron O'Neal cruising the sidewalk, looking, well, super fly. The synth sound palette on both this and "East Side Good Living" veers to the brash, but adroitly avoids annoying via melodic nuances like pitch-bends and call-and-answer, used particularly effectively on the latter. So it's more the brashness of a flared velour suit in purple than anything else; cool not crude. Jay Shepheard has employed a hands-on approach to rearing his six-release-old label, with signature touches, big or small, on every one. He marks a less conspicuous presence here by remixing the lead track as Ee Ef Ex (a collaboration with his partner behind the curtain). It's a dubbed-out affair with minor chords subduing the pomp of the original and throwback synth voices further reinforcing the label's ever more singular—literally "retro-fit"—aesthetic.
  • Tracklist
      A1 Ecstatic Love Glow A2 East Side Good Living B1 Ecstatic Love Glow (Ee Ef Ex 12″ version)
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