- "Your flesh is an insult to the perfection of the digital," says a sinister voice on Raul Vladau's second Tessier-Ashpool Recordings release as Mutual Friend. It's a silly sample that goes a long way towards explaining the aim of the young label, run by adventurous producer Liar. Tessier-Ashpool has mostly released new artists who strive to be futuristic and self-aware, conducting dance music chemistry experiments while pushing a retro-futurist video-game aesthetic. (The quote is taken from System Shock, an important early 3D PC game.) Though the label's output has been spotty, Perfection is among its most solid releases so far, delivering spastic club music with sci-fi panache.
The title track begins with the anxious synth swells of an early '90s hardcore tune. But just when you think the Amen breaks will start lashing out, Vladau drops a jackhammer drum track that seems intent on uprooting the whole thing—and it's exhilarating. Liar's excellent "Optimix" polishes "Perfection" and builds on its technological theme, adding bleepy computer noises and an extra robotic sheen to the vocal samples. He nearly beats Vladau at his own game.
The other two tracks don't match up to "Perfection." "Evolve" is a thrashing workout full of implacable noises, 808 cowbells and a vintage electro throb, but the dizzying barrage flies by without making much of an impression. "Triangulating," meanwhile, is a competent attempt at neo-grime aesthetics—diaphonous synths, deep sub lines—but feels like it can only tread water. With a solid grasp of arrangement and a futuristic sound palette, Vladau has the style factor down but needs to work on the substance part. The same could be said of Tessier-Ashpool. With its eye-popping artwork and promising artist roster, it has the look of a considered record label with potential; eight releases in, though, and they still seem to be working out the bugs.
Tracklist01. Perfection
02. Triangulating
03. Evolve
04. Perfection (Liar Optimix)