Electro Recommendations February 2011

Review: In something of a dream release for vintage electro fetishists, The Exaltics and Gosub team up for a funky-assed four tracker of straight-up machine beats. As ever The Exaltics has a techno propulsion to his tracks, providing a neat middle ground between four to the floor and electro breaks. Gosub break it off more, loading the cheeky bass synths with b-boy flair on "Plug In". However it's "You Can't Escape The Present" that shines out, capturing the hazy morning vibe of The Other People Place, stiff male vocal and all. For four fully formed and distinct jams, this release is undeniably on point.

Review: Gifted & Blessed's Gabriel Reyes-Whittaker has been operating under a number of monikers from his LA base for several years now, demonstrating a talent for multi faceted electronic music flecked indelibly with soul that has caught the ear of Steve Spacek, King Britt and the Eglo crew along the way. He seems to be in something of a purple patch production wise with this return to the All City imprint preceded by a stunningly presented EP entitled The Provider on his own label and soon to be followed by a new project entitled The Steoples (as well as some rumoured involvement with Alex Nut's label). On the A Side, "Seven In Twenty Four" is a wonderfully effervescent cruncher, combining delicately ringing synth patterns with 808 rhythms and rough bass and brings to mind Maurice Fulton's best dabblings as Syclops. It's complemented by the more outright 80s electro flex of "Dogon" with the skipping rhythmic base intermittently attacked by waves of analogue fudge. All City include the download codes too! Big tip!