Ramadanman & Appleblim, Void 23

[Aus Music]


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On paper, Void 23 seems like a record that’s too good to pass up. The latest slab from Will Saul’s Aus Music imprint brings together the unstoppable Ramadanman and consummate collaborator Appleblim with Carl Craig on “re-edit” duties — the definition of an all-star cast in 2010. In reality, Void 23 finds three incredibly talented producers struggling to articulate what they’re trying to accomplish over nine minutes.

Unusually for a pair whose music together and apart tends to be quite precise, “Void 23” seems as if it were born out of a lengthy 4×4 techno jam session that was pared down to a more reasonable length. But like many of these sessions, the lack of an identifiable plan of attack leaves the track feeling aimless and full of holes for tuning out. The attractive elements on hand — drum kit percussion and looming dub chords to staccato synth progressions of varying intensity — frequently jostle for position among a litany of less purposeful ones, from a tame klaxon and jangling wind chimes to random snatches of conversation and a seemingly endless battery of percussion timbres. With more judicious editing and coherent arrangements, “Void 23” could have done more than hint at the enjoyable techno workout to which it aspired.

Given his “re-edit” credit, listeners look to Carl Craig to bring a sense of order to “Void 23,” and to some extent he does. He reinforces the four-to-the-floor thump with more rotund bass, letting the ostinato synth lines act as the springboard for the constantly shifting slate of percussion. Although Craig’s version could have withstood still more pruning and made greater use of the smoldering dub sounds that resonated so well the first time around, his edit makes clear there’s potential in “Void 23” if someone’s willing to define what that is.

kuri  on December 2, 2010 at 11:58 AM

yeah, i thought this would be a lot better than it is. great on paper…

ML  on December 13, 2010 at 10:17 PM

i dunno, i kind of like that the original isn’t trying to “get” anywhere. seems like a good fit with villalobos’ fabric 26 and that kind of meandering house.

Anton  on December 13, 2010 at 11:00 PM

Had they constructed their tune less haphazardly and with a clearer vision of what it was supposed to be “Void 23” could have approached that realm of drifting, seemingly endless house music so often occupied by Villalobos. Sadly, they didn’t come close for me. Instead it feels like a sloppy attempt that sputters over its own abundance of ideas.

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