Detroit Swindle
Can’t Hold It
Heist/NL/12
The Dutch duo come correct anew with a four-tracker that once again veers closely to the house flavors for which they are renowned. The title track displays their obvious love for classic disco and the groovy house and garage of ‘90s New York that plundered and sampled The Paradise Garage’s playlist first time around (Skyy pun intended, if you’re looking for pun, that is). This one wouldn’t sound out of place on a legendary label like Emotive, Strictly Rhythm, Groovin’,  or Jon Cutler’s Distant Music imprint but still injects some modern flavor.

“Just Not Normal” features New Zealand keyboard player Mark De Clive-Lowe, who lays down some moogy synth work over a chord and string-driven house instrumental that bassily bumps and shunts as much as its percussion slices, swings and rolls. On the flip “Tamarindus Hollandicus” walks a fine line between classic, ‘90s, Italian, deep house (like the gear on Young Marco’s recent compilation from this year or on this mix of mine from almost…ahem… cough…cough…three years ago) and what modern house should actually sound like. If modern house was deeply influenced by Wally Badarou, that is. Don’t call it tech-house, it’s just house.

Finishing out the four-track platter is a remix of “Tamarindus Hollandicus” by NY house and techno maven Willie Burns, who drags it out of the house club by the ears and takes it on a hair-raising, yet strangely arousing (ooooerrr), electroid trip to Drexciya’s aquatic lair. This is by far the darkest tune on the record but a very welcome addition. Fans of L.I.E.S. and The Trilogy Tapes will cream their jizznibs (whatever those are) over this one as it robotically, but melodically, lurches on a stabbing, relentless bassline and a ceiling of incessant claps. It’s odd but it’s damn good, and you need some oddness to create an interesting dynamic with the more straight-ahead house and techno flavors on any dance floor.

This is a quality record and one should investage and then invest in without delay when it drops on August 8^th. Christopher Orr

Preorder on Red Eye Records Detroit Swindle – Can’t Hold It EP.
Preorder on Juno Records Detroit Swindle – Can’t Hold It EP