As a house and techno producer, Mr G has been jamming the dancefloor for the best part of twenty years with releases on an array of labels as well as those on his own Phoenix G label. He seems to have spent most of 2019 cruising around the world on a strange and love-filled trip, the culmination of which is this set of six tracks that are dancefloor ready, but still contain something that will appeal to those who aren’t just out for wild night.
Mr G has chosen to release this as an EP, so although it spins at 33rpm, it is still relatively short but filled with ideas and nice little motifs that stand out from the metronomic beats. Some of the sounds are extraordinary as well; opener “Late Nite @ Monticello” boasts a bass drum sound that feels as if it is about a mile in circumference, so deep and resonant is the beat. The repetitive vibe with its harsh, ascetic cymbal seems to be his stock in trade, but there is always a little something to elevate it, be it the violent clashing noises that drift in and out of the mix along with indecipherable vocals on the opener of the more mysterious amorphous noises that entwine with the beat on “The Made”.
The title of the EP is reflected in the made-in-a-vacuum feel of the tracks. You have the feeling of the dancefloor being empty — or of hordes of people dancing in unison — but separated by thousands of miles, each person in a world of their own. The simplicity is what makes you move, but it is not all about that insistent rhythm as the final track on side one, “LDBPR3” drops the beats for a drifting subtlety with the rhythm supplied by what sounds like a haunting violin. It gives a little respite from what has gone before, but somehow feels even more divorced from reality. The second side kicks off with more beat-y goodness, although “Gathering NYC”‘s drum sound is really loose; the bass is thick and misty, with just the hi-hat sharp enough to penetrate the gloom. There is real tension here, with some alien movement, liquid and threatening, taking place in the background. It is just out of reach, yet present enough to unsettle, and leads rather surprisingly into the trip-hop oriented “Embassy”. Here, the groove is much busier with its lively, skipping motion that feels far more down to earth than anything that has appeared so far. Its repeated vocal line helps to bring it closer to home and feels grittier, but Mr G’s willingness to let the rhythms dictate is still there.The final track on The Alien With Extraordinary Abilities is “Soundbath @ The Toft”, which drops the beats again, and the drifting drones and subtly pitched echo of keyboard is just the short palette cleanser needed before the disc grinds to a halt. The quality is certainly still here for this release, but it is the mix of styles and textures that keeps him ahead of the game, with just enough variety to draw regular listeners in for another dose. Plus, as ever, it works perfectly on the floor.
-Mr Olivetti-
