- The International Feel label, mindful of the public's expectations after so many DJ Harvey records, warily announces that "it's time for something completely different… to be precise, some Japanese techno." That tag barely begins to describe the liquid grace of "ACise #2." At the start, the rolling groove feels faster than it is, with swung kicks leaning forward into bubbling percussive accents; as it builds, the groove rolls off the balls of its feet and back onto its heels, balanced by reassuring handclaps on the 2 and 4. The sense of tension, tugged towards electro in one direction and house in the other, finds a kind of resolution in soothing chords and bright arpeggios that go zipping up the major scale.
Gatto Fritto, apparently, was the one that discovered the track for International Feel (it's a co-release with his Fritto Morto label). That's not surprising: you can guess, from the sound of his remix, how urgently he wanted to get his hands on this. His drums are even tougher, flattening out the swing of the original into straight 16th notes with an even more pronounced electro pattern. If it sounds fuller than the original, that's thanks partly to colorful synthesizer chords that billow out in slow motion; a plunging bassline, thick as a bridge cable, supports the tumble of motion above.
Skudge's "Feels It Version" bears little resemblance to the original; there's a wash of background chords that might come from Gonno's track, but the bulk of it is linear, minimalist, faintly acidic techno, guarded and a little sour. It's a fine track in its own right, but I'm a little surprised, given the riches of the original, that this is what Skudge heard lurking inside. Gonno rounds out the EP with "Turn to Light," a gorgeous, shimmering track for guitar and synthesizer drone, halfway between Durutti Column and Stars of the Lid, with a touch of Stone Roses for good measure. "Japanese techno" or no, International Feel's Balearic reputation is safe with this one.
Tracklist A1 ACDise #2
A2 Turn The Light
B1 ACDise #2 (Skudge Feels It Version)
B2 ACDise #2 (Gatto Fritto Remix)