Music / Track of the Day
Track of the Day: Radio Slave – Another Club [Rekids]
MR PUZL February 17, 2017 February 17, 2017
It's welcoming yet also surprising that we have yet to feature Radio Slave on our Track of the Day series. I say the former because, in turn, I'm afforded the luxury of and opportunity to reviewing his music this week. When 'Another Club' and it's partner 'Feel The Same' first showed up in my inbox I was already inundated with promos and playing a bit of catch up on responses after taking a bit of a holiday this year. It fortunately resurfaced when I was looking at this week's forthcoming releases and I couldn't have been quicker to pick it up.
Honestly where to start. Matthew Edwards in his own right is a fantastic producer and has an incredible music acumen working on a variety of distinct projects throughout his career and often concurrently. Enough with the praise though, let's get into this track.
Do not be shy, that four to the floor kick that's smacking you upside the head is here to stay. The sound design in this powerful drum alone is interesting as its construct is shaped by some wonderful layering. At the heart of this unabashed, kick drum is a blend of the raw grainy techno-infused textures combined with an interesting pulsating analog sound that rides of the tail of every hit. The effect gives the resonance of the drum character and the sense that it could be the reproduction of some alien beacon pulsating with vigorous efficiency.
As the song begins to progress the arrangement is joined by a very methodical, structured series of staccato percussive hits reminiscent of more traditional minimal techno compositions. The progression and patterns vary just enough to give the rhythm some variety especially deep into the track.
Don't worry I'm getting to the vocal. This honestly my favorite bit about this song. Edward's brilliantly samples audio from an interview Lady Gaga gave to Fuse in 2011 discussing the relentless pressure and demand of a touring musician and performer. It's poignant as it is definitely in parallel to the grueling schedule that maintstream and in-demand DJs and producers face within the electronic music community as well.
'Another Club' is no-nonsense, not for the feint of heart and unapologetic about its raw, fierce nature. Brilliant.
Be sure to also check out the pairing to this EP 'Feel The Same':
Matthew Edwards aka Rekid aka Radio Slave aka Sea Devils aka The Machine… still with us? No worries, it's an entire narrative within itself and quite the task to digest and understand the fragmented yet controlled world of Edwards. His seminal edit of Kylie Minogue's 'Can't Get You Out Of My Head' among a host of other popular music remixes and edits catapulted Edwards into the spotlight. It eventually led to the natural progression of releasing his own material via his own imprint Rekids as Radio Slave. Truthfully, Edwards' history would best be summed up in a small novel but for those who enjoy the read a doing a bit of their own discover we recommend starting here.
Stream & Download the tracks here
MR PUZL