Wind Up
Various Artists
A new compilation on Nano almost always sets pulses racing round here, and Wind Up is no exception. While there may be less immediacy in the melodies compared with previous releases, Ans (AKA The Electric Ant, from a whom a full artist album is expected next year) has compiled a belter. Kicking off with the Chill Cliff remix of Talamasca’s A Frenchman In Cape Town: not bad, and certainly not Lestat’s conventional style. Think a very deep-tribal-african vibe, although it has a tendency to sound a little like Graceland-era Paul Simon at times. Tristan & Allaby’s Lateral Thinking is up next, and it’s fing nice… All about textures and tecchy patterns, and begs to be heard on a loud rig. AMD’s Quantum Accelerator is very tasty, Dick Trevor & Jules (Aphid Moon) have collaborated to produce what’s surely one of the big tunes of this summer. Pacey, with sublime production, and the breakdown’s an utter dream. Shift’s Machine Soul is gnarl ed and drenched in reverb, with an almosy ravey breakdown, and the ManMadeMan remix of Tristan v The Electric Ant’s Six Straight Days is cute: tuffer than the original by far, and with Sonya & Paul’s wonderful funky trademark groove stamped all over it. Silver Surfers (aka Protoculture + Sim1) are up next, with a Protoculture remix of Mudjaji… and fck me if this isn’t an utter orgasm of a track. Wonderful; production, effortless energy; it’s tastier than a giant tub of coleslaw full of playful lesbians, basically. With the kind of breakdown that has tears streaming down your cheeks, you might be in danger of wetting yourself when it drops. Pass the Pampers. Tikal’s Audio Energizer is very cheeky, with shifting BMP’s aplenty and THAT break that samples Daft Punk (and why not.) Finally Alternate Vision’s Sliced is a low-set, deeply progressive number that closes proceedings nicely, if a little bleary-eyed. This is an awesome compilation, once again displaying a confidence and de ft sleight-of-hand that’s at once rare, yet very typical of the quality of releases we’ve come to expect from Nano. Respect.
