Tim Xavier - Speeding Around the Universe

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  • I'm not sure Tim Xavier has ever fully gotten his due. The former New Yorker (Big Apple residents of a certain persuasion still lament the passing of his mastering studio) continues to refine his mastery of sound from his adopted home of Berlin, but he's still not the household name his extensive discography and reputation as an engineer would suggest. Xavier doesn't seem as interested in the coolest and newest sounds as he is in those that are refined and advanced, and that's precisely the sort of palate we get on "Speeding Around the Universe," featuring some spoken-word bits from George "G-Tech" Rontiris and remixes from Dustin Zahn and longtime collaborator Tony Rohr: minimally adorned thumps and clicks combine to form a whole a good deal heavier than the sum of its parts. Beginning like any number of records released on Clink, "Speeding Around the Universe" glides by on muted, syncopated chords and a solid kick before dub atmospherics blast things off. As you'd expect, no sound drifts out of place, and there's really no weak moment in the mix. The Zahn remixes, offering two different interpretations of peaktime, slot Xavier's original idea into a new context, but "Speeding" wasn't exactly in need of this sort of expansion. Rohr's "Freaksound Remix" does something a bit more interesting, toughening up the original slightly while injecting enough spaciness to keep things from getting too heavy. (A "Freakapella Traktor Tool," also included, is more or less what the title indicates.) Still, Xavier's original remains at the top of the pack, a place many of us would love to see him more often.
  • Tracklist
      01. Speeding Around The Universe (Dustin Zahn Main Floor Remix) 02. Speeding Around The Universe (Dustin Zahn Monolith Remix) 03. Speeding Around The Universe 04. Speeding Around The Universe (Tony Rohr Freakapella Traktor Tool) 05. Speeding Around The Universe (Tony Rohr Freaksound Remix)
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