- 'Bar 135' is the latest outing by the deceptively named Polish duo 3 Channels (third member Votchik left the group), now comprised of Grzegorz Demiañczuk (aka Deeop) and Wojciech Tarañczuk (aka Ketiov). Following on from last year’s 'Simple' EP on Trapez Ltd, they've graduated to Trapez proper for these little 'minimal' gems after their more 'twisted' releases on Crosstown Rebels and electro-tinged work on Trenton (their words).
A-side 'Lady Salata' is too slight, tapping out a jovial two note melody on little metal clangers amid shakers and a misplaced bassline – it’s too promising for its own good. A scratchy drone loop, thin claps and empty rave whistles pad out the latter half, but it’s the Latin conga line that saves this from the waste. 'Amnesia' is a tougher beast: bass and percussion down low while up top a simple analogue synth line, filled with electro menace, twists and twirls to its finale. 'Close Up' again involves a bottom-end (recalling Gabriel Ananda's 'Bassmachine') with claps that are sharp gnarled things, surroundings all bizarre and unsettling, the outcome uncertain. Finger clicks, arcade pulsars and intoned male aahs accompany a collection of scrapes and rasps that only grow louder and screechier, and the breakdown at the five-minute mark leads us into a whole new song, shuddering synth tones and grey echo ushering us out the door.
'Bar 135' fits in neatly to the Trapez policy of experiment and diversity within a micro/minimal framework and their dissonant, disorienting detours mid-song are refreshing. 3 Channels cover a fair amount of ground with these tracks, moving from textbook sequencer programming to more eccentric experiments, but as the B-side demonstrates they are most adept at producing winning music for the current market.