- "Boutade" was famously declared the greatest dance record of the '00s by Bill Brewster, but its creator, Mugwump, has been pretty quiet since the end of that decade. His fledgling label, Subfield, which issued its first EP in September, was a low-key return for the formerly prolific Belgian, but his music isn't immediately striking—it's subtle and tends to sneak up on you. Giallo/Hinterlands, a collaboration with DC Salas, bears Mugwump's hallmark for charismatic dexterity, buffing these jog-paced tracks with strains of acid house, New Beat and EBM.
"Giallo" smoulders with an understated intensity, like a scowl across a crowded room. Its burly bassline seems to slowly cook the rest of the track—the wailing horn that pierces "Giallo" is the most arid instrument in a landscape of dry sounds, including some dusty snares and breaking glass. The Soft Rocks remix of "Giallo" inserts a thin acid line and some snare fills while dialling down the tension. Both are excellent; you'd bet your house on finding either version on an Andrew Weatherall mix at some point in the next few months.
"Hinterlands" recalls Nitzer Ebb, with its choleric grunts and steely synths, but it's far from stiff. Other sounds drift and click in the background, coming into focus as the track progresses. Cumulatively, this gives "Hinterlands" a more easy-going groove than its EBM inspiration would otherwise allow, which reflects the EP's suppleness.
TracklistA1 Giallo
B1 Giallo (Soft Rocks Flesh & Fantasy Remix)
B2 Hinterlands