[PAN]

Black Sites are Helena Hauff and F#X, two residents at the much loved Golden Pudel in Hamburg. Production-wise, F#X is an unknown, while Hauff had her debut release only recently, and yet the duo (and Hauff in particular) have been on the receiving end of a good deal of hype this year. Much like Klock and Dettmann did seven (!) years ago on Ostgut Ton’s first release, the movements of Pudel residents this year seem to be a sort of musical coming out party for a much loved club (Berghain back then, Golden Pudel now), and the symbiotic relationship between club and resident seem to be doing wonders for both parties right now.

Now, I’ve never been to Golden Pudel, so I can’t say that Black Sites’ Prototype EP reflects the “Golden Pudel sound” (or, indeed, if such a thing exists), but just going by aesthetics (grungy, kinda beat-up house and electro) I’d say Hauff and F#X’s music is certainly a produkte of its environment. “Prototype” is a stretched out, vaguely acidic techno stomper that edges in and out of distortion, echoing Hauff’s Werkdiscs release from earlier this year, yet much more compelling. The real magic, however, is on the B-side with “N313p.” The usual ingredients are all there: noisy, distorted elements, analog gear, and a decidedly lo-fi approach, yet here the slightest hint of melody truly does wonders, grounding the track and making it a memorable, peak-time cut that you could maybe even hum to yourself on you way home from the club …maybe. Sounds go in and out of style, edging further and further towards cliché with each iteration, and 2013’s noisy analog techno is certainly 2008’s Berghain techno. But clichés are quickly forgotten in the face of strong music, and both sides of Prototype are most certainly that.