[Workshop]

Workshop 12 is a strange one. For one, the whole thing operates within normal house tempos, which in itself is an odd turn of events for a label that often pushes the BPMs down as far as it possibly can. Brushing tempos aside, however, the A side is a truly weird piece of abstract, bearded techno, one that only a label such as Workshop could really get away with. It kicks off with the word fragment “-ensuality” looped over and over again while bass jabs and contorted string samples wrap themselves around each other. After everything gets going, however, it all just sort of falls apart, resulting in the latter half of the track being practically nothing but the looped vocal (something immediately apparent by just looking at the grooves on the vinyl). It’s a pretty out-there arrangement, but somehow it works.

The B-side is a bit more straightforward, starting with the deep and Noir-ish B1. Unstable sounds oscillate off in the distance while the steady clicks of Mosse’s drum machine keep track of time. The B2 is short but sweet, with an aggressive arpeggiated bass line phasing in and out and half-time percussion, giving the track a rickety but endearing quality. Given Kassem’s now-relatively high profile it’s safe to say he’s tapped into a vibe that’s all his own yet universal in its support from many corners of dance music. That he manages to keep putting out records of the highest quality, always with a couple surprises up his sleeve, just confirms that his is one of the most vital voices around.