Fenin: Black and White
Echocord

Copenhagen-based Echocord brings us four new cuts from Berlin-based Lars Fenin (Shitkatapult, Mitek, Meteosound)—by Fenin's own reckoning, two for the bass-dub lovers and two percussive 4/4s for the dance floor (perhaps explaining the binary title). There's no question which slot the dubbed-out machine music of “And Again” fits into, and it's also easy to guess where the smooth shuffle-swing of “Chewing Dub” goes. It's harder to know where to place the subtly jacking “Tallyman”: the cascading echo says dub but the strutting pulse suggests the club, but the faded 120-bpm electro beat of the reverb-soaked “In-between” finally lays the matter to rest. Fenin's third EP goes down so easily it won't leave anyone gasping for breath but it's polished nonetheless.

January 2007