V.L.A.D.: D'Rmxs EP
Angstrom

In addition to releases on Warp (Motion Institut) and Laboratory Instinct (Xiringuitos Perdido, Emo-Droidz), V.L.A.D.'s particular brand of 8-bit electronica also has appeared on the French label Angstrom, with his EP D' now complemented by the vinyl-only D'rmxs EP. Five of the contributors' pieces are dense, loud, and claustrophobic with the sixth an anomalously placid coda. On the A side, Domo_Kun smothers the metallic hip-hop of “Last night VLAD's track break my Mac” with a mass of voices and arcade-electro clatter, Teamtendo's “8bitbullWEMISSYOUWHENYOUDON'TLIKEMUSIC” takes V.L.A.D. for an unhinged, grinding breakcore ride, and Spek's “Transcom_tv carte blanche mix ” opens like a music box on speed before settling into a less frenetic array of squirrelly electronics, warm bass lines, and crunchy beats. Flip the disc over for the throbbing, jittery electronica of Groupgris's “Salkaïda” and Tellemake's crushing hip-hop throwdown “Tellekaïda” and then lower your heart rate with B.alone's “Transcom, archetype,” an Eno-styled moog and piano outro. Interesting? Definitely. Pleasurable? Uh-huh, if your taste leans towards fractured, mangled arcade-electro.

June 2005