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12"
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ITEM 027EP
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A pioneer of the darker side of electronic experimentation, Troy Pierce's A-side "Softcore" is anything but: a haunting, chugging peak-time production with a music DNA consisting of twisted strands of EBM, techno, and industrial, with a hint of dub thrown in for good measure. B-side "The Dangers with Strangers" is an equally-powerful effort. Elusive Bristol producer Dubspeeka (perhaps more famously known as one part of British group Kosheen) delivers a stripped-down yet driven interpretation of Troy's original. Kill The DJ-founder and ex-Pulp resident Chlo rounds off proceedings with a remix that is as atmospheric as it is club-suitable.
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CD
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MINUS 052CD
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From the cornfields of Indiana to new Berliner, Troy Pierce offers up his first CD EP release. Gone Astray continues his mission up river into the heart of darkness, with arguably his most accomplished collection of tracks to date. Made up of music composed almost exclusively on the road, this release is driven by choices and ideas that would not normally have surfaced in a typical studio environment. It's an innovative, ambitious project, not least because it tackles so many abstract themes in one sitting, often taking more than one mix to fully explore the hidden pathways that disappear off into this dense catacomb of sound. "Even If It's Alone (Black Acid)" is a good case in point. The original version is abstract, freeform techno full of disorientating bleeps, metallic snare rolls and messed-up vocal overdubs that offer the listener little in the way of a safety net. The Louderbach remix, however, is an altogether different trip. Sparser and pinned down by a mechanical hi-hat/snare pattern, it utilizes spaced-out delays and reverbs to create an equally intense atmosphere. Further highlights include the classic, arpeggiated hookline at the heart of "Lost On The Way To DC10" (prepared moments before a gig at the self same club) and the urgent tribal stomps of "Klitkut" -- another track with Ibiza after-hour origins. Dramatic changes of pressure abound throughout the whole project, with Pierce making full use of the audio spectrum as he painstakingly deconstructs and reconstructs frequencies. Each sound is teased and twisted in all manner of directions, (check out the morphing acid line on "Golden") with particular attention paid to the drum machine patterns that are refreshingly free from the linear constraints of standard techno. As a result, the sound seems to move forward like a wall, constantly changing room size and shape, which is why you'll be forgiven for sometimes finding a door where the window should be. Going astray can be a good thing, especially when you end up finding a better way. Gone Astray is available on double vinyl, with the CD release including two additional tracks "Word" and "Go Without Me (Stay Away)."
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2x12"
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MINUS 052EP
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2x12" version. Gone Astray continues his mission up river into the heart of darkness, with arguably his most accomplished collection of tracks to date. Made up of music composed almost exclusively on the road, this release is driven by choices and ideas that would not normally have surfaced in a typical studio environment. It's an innovative, ambitious project, not least because it tackles so many abstract themes in one sitting, often taking more than one mix to fully explore the hidden pathways that disappear off into this dense catacomb of sound.
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12"
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MINUS 039EP
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"Part II of 25 Bitches with new remixes by Gaiser, Marc Houle & Heartthrob. Troy Pierce (aka Louderbach, Slacknoise and one third of Run Stop Restore with Magda and Marc Houle) unleashes one of the year's most anticipated tracks with '25 Bitches.' The original track goes back a while, coming into creation as a joke composed while stuck waiting in an airport. Not like humor is never ever a part of Troy's music or persona, '25 Bitches' has been knocking down doors in his and fellow DJ's sets like Magda and Richie Hawtin since last fall. Pierce's bass-heavy mix starts off full of dark ghosts, working into a dub bassline and surgical mix of effects and vocals. Gaiser packs dynamite into his reworking with 'Too Many Bitches Makeover'. Explosive bass and a sonic edginess are Gaiser's weapons, working with percussion and effects into a fever-pitched remix that has been destroying dancefloors in Gaiser's live sets and DJ sets by Pierce & Hawtin worldwide for months. Marc Houle reworks 'Bitches' like he's dragging it through an arcade floor from the 1980s. His bounce and snap treatment turns the original on its side, carving in a pop-ish attitude and a new aggressive side to Houle's electro analog wisdom. Under the controls, Heartthrob detunes and operates the subject into a haunted bendy swing, adding his soon-to-be-signature bassline. It's the slow punch and melody that Heartthrob hooks into with his grinding yet flowing treatment."
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12"
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MINUS 038EP
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"Blow-up new single from Troy Pierce + remixes by Berg Nixon and Matt John. Troy Pierce (aka Louderbach, Slacknoise and one third of Run Stop Restore with Magda and Marc Houle) unleashes one of the year's most anticipated tracks with '25 Bitches.' The original track goes back a while, coming into creation as a joke composed while stuck waiting in an airport. Not like humor is never ever a part of Troy's music or persona, '25 Bitches' has been knocking down doors in his and fellow DJ's sets like Magda and Richie Hawtin since last fall. Pierce's bass-heavy mix starts off full of dark ghosts, working into a dub bassline and surgical mix of effects and vocals. Remixers for Volume I stepped up to the challenge with steam and force. Detroit's Berg Nixon moves two ships in the night, colliding his vibes in the razor-sharp edit on side A that swells and pings while shifting to his more melodic and animated B-side version with Berg's 'ZigZag remix.' Matt John hits the chip from Berlin with his '25 Pitches' remix. Matt slices thru the bassline by creating a new intimate close-up version with a monotone pulse and subtle sneak-attack. Both remixers deliver the energy for DJs and dancefloors while also working in subtleties for deeper listening."
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