Ricardo Villalobos, Los Updates & Anthony Collins ‘Joli Chat EP’

Ricardo Villalobos, Los Updates & Anthony Collins / ‘Joli Chat EP’

Vinyl/ Digital

Nice Cat / Released April 4th 2011

Mr Villalobos likes to draw things out. The undisputed master of modern day minimalism, that he’s so much less boring than many of his peers is largely thanks to the filthy, swaggering vibe that comes with his epic, should be dull but isn’t repetition. Individual tunes don’t do that much, most of the time, but somehow anyone who has ever caught the world beating DJ, or bought one of his productions, knows how memorable he is.

Teaming up with Los Updates and Anthony Collins for this release, caution appears to have been thrown into the wind of conformity, with the emphasis firmly placed on patience, which, thankfully, is eventually rewarded. Putting out two tunes, both of which are nearly 13 minutes long, isn’t exaclty a clamour for accessibility.

What it is, however, is a recipe for low-slung, druggy and drummy strolling techno. Side A’s outing, I Throw Water Into the Lake, combines trickling effects with hand slapped percussion and distant, whispered vocals, underpinning it’s structure with a brooding bassline that cries out to be mixed into. In contrast I Miss You So Much takes things into more soulful territory, as the muted organ sways side-to-side, pendulum-like, while a male voice calls out with equal parts desperation and mystery.

Eventually a strained synth hook claws its way from the depths, creating some kind of twisted melody. It doesn’t last for long, but sticks with you, making this a fine example of trippy, mildly hypnotic four fours.  There might not be much by way of immediately identifiable differences between productions within this wholly stripped sub genre. But a closer inspection here reveals enough personality to ensure once you’ve familiarised yourself with these arrangements there will be no mistakes made when the impersonators arrive.


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