- Ooze, or at least the A-side, is a reissue from a cassette that Streetwalker—the project of Elon Katz and Beau Wanzer—released on Catholic Tapes in 2011. It's easy to see why "Ooze" appealed to Diagonal Records, given how well it fits with its catalogue of left-of-centre techno (Powell), rhythmic noise (Russell Haswell) and electronic music that's indebted to avant-rock without being beholden to it (Blood Music, Shit & Shine).
The title track lives up to its name. What begins as a straightforward synth-loop-and-kick affair later seems to seep out patchily, following its own curious internal logic, before performing an about-turn and settling into a swaggering groove. The tactile sounds Streetwalker add at every other pass—rubbery acid, clacking percussion, groaning bass and buried vocals—are every bit as compelling as the structure. The slinking bassline on Silent Servant's remix falls out of step with itself, propulsive but with the emphasis where you wouldn't expect—like a foreigner speaking your language perfectly but with alien intonation. The vocals are even further away as he brings the groove to the front, and though his remix lacks the original's absorbing architecture, texturally it's every bit as interesting.
Tracklist01. Ooze
02. Ooze (Silent Servant Remix)