Stumpf/Reynold: Eleven/For House
Sushitech Purple

Though Phil Stumpf and Reynold operate together under the name Duplex 100, they present separate tracks on Sushitech Purple's new 12-inch of deep minimal techno. Phil's two bangers take the A train while Reynold grabs the B and brings Minus's Magda along for a remix ride.

Stumpf drops a sweet hiccup into the precision-tooled techno groove of “Eleven” but that's merely one of the driving cut's many charms. Listen also to how artfully he assembles the tune's intricate mélange of groaning bass lines, staccato signal patterns, and squirting squelches. Initially grooving on a more electro tip, his “Junior Warp” builds midway into an epic burner that ever-so-subtly references the mighty Trans-Europe Express as it gathers steam.

Flip the disc to hear Reynold's dubbed-out “For House” strut confidently during its opening half before casually exploding into wide-screen electro-house in its second. Magda's burbling makeover brings da funk to Reynold's cut, maintaining its jacking tech-house spirit while dressing it up with off-kilter synth wooziness, handclaps, rubbery bass lines, and percussive clatter. What most recommends the material by Stumpf and Reynold (and Sushitech in general) is that it moves through multiple episodes without ever losing its dance core.

April 2006