Rhythmic Noise / Breakcore / IDM

Tracklist:

01 Element Abuse - Oxna
02 Helicopterface - Purpose Aches [Element Abuse Remix]
03 Concrete Cookie - A Dry Red Shard
04 Helicopterface - Positive Collide
05 Retrigger - Mean A Swing

Mash Up Soundsystem is an artist collective resuming an innovative and out of hand compendium of experiments within the camp of Techno and all its subsequent derived disciples. The course of action is vast as you see and the uncommon dynamics present on the tracks attest this feeling. Mash Up Records the branch created by Maggot Farmer and Concrete Cookie have consolidated a global communion with each delivery of their 12” vinyl series compiling edgy artists from all corners of the world, their apparitions, aside from incredibly moving and out of norm within the scene have gained notoriety for its notorious sense for rhythm and movement, a character that opens the camp for the DJs to play their tunes and to shake the audience with each hit. This recognition has taken them to issue three previous compilations on the exclusive and ever immortal wax press. “Get a:head” their fourth compilation presents bands from different countries and different perspective on how to assume the task for the dance floor. Retrigger, a Brazilian outfit and Helicopter face and Element abuse from Scotland and the house chief Concrete cookie from the US. All in all the EP illustrates the modern twists and swings from the more upbeat side of modern electronica and displays a small insight in the visions of world artists regarding this generic landscape.

The work opens bluntly with a double dose of rhythmic noise. “Oxna” by Element abuse brings a frenzy quote of distorted gabber breaks degenerated in rhythmic noise loops cut by industrial clanging, the track is rhythmically hectic and distorted with a gripping hand held on the listener’s neck. The twisted samplers introduced presents distant acid house reminiscences bringing to the track an insane dynamic. As product of being centred entirely on movement the sequences get obvious and irritating, distance the funny side. “Purpose ache” by Helicopterface and remixed by Element abuse is a highly incendiary tune constructed around a prefixed loop without too much adorns around it, roughly distorted and tempo pushing the track marauders rhythmic noise discharge and adds only minimal rhythmic changes and scenario twists to the plot. Concrete cookie changes the panorama with a jazzy jamming made of real instrumental breaks with “A dry red shard”, very flat and organic track, posing the rhythmic line in the first plane and adjacently sub bass and feedback layers round the form of a very urban and rhythmic narrative. Helicopter face returns this time with a more industrial centred piece, metallic clanging loops paves the way for a factory set of rhythmic noise polished by elegant piercing sequences and twisted layers. The song gets potency as it advances, bringing more rhythmic variations and finally comprising a whole artillery set of beats and breaks that results highly dynamic and sinister at the same time. The more upbeat track is at charge of the Brazilian outfit Retrigger with the track “Mean a swing” based on a highly moving sample from Django Reinhardt from Duke Ellington’s “It dont mean a thing if it aint got that swing”. The author is very smart using cuts and loops from Django interpretation to provoke a grand scale rhythmic fiesta when accompanied by the drum & bass and ultra acid analogue distortions. Great track!

Nice compilation very moving and entertaining, deploying a diverse genealogy of electronica exemplars from many different places over the listener and presenting dissimilar perspectives with each track. Only critic I should give is that the first two tracks could get pass the orthodox rhythmic noise formula, too much repetitive and therefore predictable, although they filter some interesting details that guarantee some especial polished in the end. Get a:head” becomes a colourful fan of possibilities for the DJ and the dancing legion, shooting in short a range of tracks that will secure the fun of a party.