Last (Al Tourettes and Appleblim Remix)

Raudive, the prolific DJ and producer also known as Oliver Ho, has been putting out a stylistically diverse range of music for nearly 20 years under these guises and various others, on a plethora of labels including Blueprint, Drumcode, Poker Flat, and his own Meta. For his "Last" EP on Halocyan, Raudive has delivered a pair of absolutely uncompromising electronic works. Although this is perhaps Halocyan's most experimental release to date, the tracks all retain a dance sensibility. Title track "Last" builds a fantastical techno narrative over beds of cold, precisely controlled reverb and insistent, crucially positioned percussion. A small set of sounds lock deftly into place in various formations, expertly building tension and intrigue as they coalesce into a surpsingly expressive journey. Al Tourettes and Appleblim take the original and add some colorful techno bounce to their remix, twisting the original's stern bassline into something more fluid and fun. B-side "Dumb" operates on little more than a strict, pummeling 4/4 beat and subtle, metallic harmonies to create a deranged and acerbic techno lobotomy, with a pitched-down, barely decipherable voice lording over the proceedings. Steve Moore (of L.I.E.S., Zombi) takes "Dumb" and ramps up the darkness, crafting a John Carpenter worthy atmosphere of terror, paranoia, and dread, custom-tailored for the dancefloor.