as mentioned a few weeks ago, this new 12" by sheffield based the black dog takes one the highlights from the bands excellent radio scarecrow album, train by the autobahn, and lets the elusive detroit star, rob hood, twist and turn the groove into beautifully deep new forms proving that ambient techno is still a vital force to be reckoned with.
first up is the dj remix, where the pace is focused on the more upbeat bounce part of the track. of course, with a track title like that, it doesn’t take a genius to realise that a lot of the sonic references point to kraftwerk. this point is driven home, by the bands own update, part 3, (parts 1 and 2 are on the album) where the ambience and the rhythmic thud are intertwined beautifully. the listener is treated to music that is both determined to make the spine shake, yet, is a perfect soundtrack to sit back and watch the world go by. for roberts second take, 8 mile remix, he strips away the beat, pushes the melodic pulses to the fore and drops in an old school house piano riff making this listener break out in nostalgic heavy smiles. finally, the 12" is finished off with another stripped back, raw bass soldier forgemaster remix, which exposes the reason as to why listening to deep bass heavy techno on crappy earplugs is rarely a good experience. in other words, pick up the 12" proper, and drop this on a soundsystem, your woofers may be asking for mercy, but your ears and soul will be thanking you for your wise choice in tune selection.
easily one of the best singles of the year.
more detail : the black dog – – soma records