- The last time Dan Ghenacia presented us with a solo effort on his own Freak n' Chic imprint was way back in 2008—the deliciously twisted Garden EP—and while the year-plus sabbatical haven't done his talents any harm at all, it's perhaps not quite the release his fans have been waiting for. Don't get me wrong, Who Stole the Freaks is good. While the same sense of creeping menace that saturated so many of his earlier productions is still present, it's now overlaid with a newfound sense of optimism, akin to a manic depressive's dawning realisation that there is indeed light at the end of the tunnel.
"Who Stole the Freaks" is a far cry from what anyone would dare refer to as upbeat, though. It starts with warped sirens, reverb-soaked hats and muttered vocals, but the bassline is pretty lively and guitar-like stabs add a definite sweetness. The problem is that it hasn't quite made up its mind what it wants to be: Moody or jolly. And, as a result, it fails to fully hit the mark on either level.
With the other two tracks, it's hard not to notice the influence of a fellow Freak n' Chic-er. The bassline and warped vocals of "Discolour" are so Shonky-esque it's hard to believe he wasn't in the studio making his influence felt. "Round 4," too, has an unnervingly familiar quality to it, and while both tracks are solid deep/tech house numbers—with "Discolour"'s haunting pads and nicely-picked vocals marking it out as the stronger of the two—it all feels a little bit been there, done that.
TracklistA1 Who Stole the Freaks
B1 Discolour
B2 Round 4