- It's clear that Londoner Andreas Georgiades has taken a leaf or two about rhythm, groove and atmosphere from the archives: Each riff or loop he uses is simple. Most have likely been used countless times before. This, and the fact that they're all certainly cast from the same mould, might lead some to dismiss Rude Bishop as dry at first glance. That would be a mistake: In the 5 AM murk this style would offer a charismatic vacancy, a sense of despair unrelieved by substance. For fans of dark techno, that's a very good thing indeed.
His own mark, though, isn't in the building blocks. It's the way he puts them together. Whether it's spontaneous or not, it certainly feels that way. The tracks here simply flow. "Blind Eye" lifts and then drops twenty megatons timed just off the bar mark; it'll satisfy abundantly if your favourite knob on the mixer is the bass EQ. "Blind Eye" is also the deadliest thing on a record filled with rabbit hole blackness. Glue label head Richard Seeley has released primarily on Very Very Wrong Indeed, and this is techno of the kind that broods rather than charges. Precise rhythmic chopping, a hell of a nasty bass growl on the title track and a trippy bass oscillation on "Space Boy" are all deftly produced and self-assuredly cool.
Surprisingly, given their creators' greater experience (Collins with Wolf + Lamb credentials and Sam having a long list of respected labels on his CV), the remixes are less whelming. OK, Sierra Sam's is pretty decent, with rich tropical deepness in wholesome congas and synth swipes. It trumps Collins' effort on variation and interest; not a difficult task as there's not much of that in his at all, leaving a basic plod to loop for six minutes, with a few hissing flourishes not really doing the trick. Stick with the originals—they're epic.
Tracklist01. Rude Bishop
02. Blind Eye
03. Space Boy
04. Rude Bishop (Michael J Collins Remix)
05. Space Boy (Sierra Sam Remix)