- Samurai has been knocking on techno's door for years, with its Horo sub-label moving away from drum & bass conventions entirely. Pact Infernal's The Descent (Chapter 1) EP from earlier this year is a prime example—it's dense and atmospheric dance music that doesn't fit neatly into any box, and wouldn't have been out of place on a label like Stroboscopic Artefacts. Making that connection clear, Lucy steps in to combine the tracks from the 12-inch into two remixes. It marks Samurai's first real foray into techno, while keeping its anything-goes outlook intact.
Pact Infernal's originals cut a shuddering, post-apocalyptic figure, which makes them ripe for interpretation by the likeminded Stroboscopic boss. Lucy's remixes are nearly as ambitious in execution as they are in scope (together they almost stretch to 30 minutes). His "Cosmic Remix" is the one for DJs, a techno odyssey that builds a tidal wave before receding into an abstract digital soundscape. The slightly shorter "Subterranean Remix" is more arty, the kind of swampy electronica—all rattling chains and eerie drones—that Lucy saves for his albums. Both remixes are defined by his impeccable talent for atmospherics and detailing, but what's even more noteworthy is how close they sound to a regular Samurai Horo release. If it weren't for Lucy's credit on the sleeve, you might never guess there was something unusual about this 12-inch, which says a lot about the enviable position Samurai holds in experimental electronic music.
TracklistA Lucy Cosmic Remix
B Lucy Subterranean Remix