The Analogue Cops
Party To Dance
[Fragil]
Just in case you weren’t sure, The Analogue Cops are all about using only hardware and working the gear they have to its absolute limits. This old-school approach to their music shines through both their releases and their live shows, and they take it one step further with the Party To Dance EP, offering it as a vinyl only release (pressed on super heavy 180g wax, no less).
The two distinct sides of the duo’s music are showcased on the release, with their rugged techno sounds commandeering the A-side of the record, while the B-side explores their jackin’ Chicago influences. AC-Livex02 opens the release with pounding, distorted beats, reversed synth stabs and soulful vocals, creating a funky-yet-devastating cut sure to please fans of Ben Sims and the like. AC-SnatchSquad fills out the rest of the grooves on the A-side, storming in with overdriven TB-303s squelching and squealing all over the place, angry radar bleeps, haunted vocals and pounding drum rhythms.
AC-PartyToDance starts the B-side a little less furiously, though there’s still plenty of chunk in this baby’s funk. Although primarily focused around a filtered disco sample that gradually builds in intensity, the catchy hook is complemented perfectly by jackin’ drum rhythms, a well-timed piano loop and a full, well-rounded bassline. DJ Sneak would be proud. Finishing things off is AC-LParis1, a stripped-down, funky jam that is impossible to sit still to. Although it sets up its premise fairly early and sticks to it almost unwaveringly, the groove is catchy and fun enough to remain danceable for the entire length of the track, and the addition of the looped vocal at about the half-way point keeps the track from feeling monotonous.
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