The second volume of Emotional Response’s All Trades compilation continues its discourse of bringing a selection of artists together that have contributed an influence on the label and the NTS show the release is named after.
Running for 7 years plus, the show is a smorgasbord, a hodgepodge of the music enjoyed by label founder, running from ambient beginnings to dance music later, with a lot of dub and smatters of off-kilter, new wave and beatdown electronics in-between. It is here, that the compilations ideas centre. A cross pollination of modern electronic producers, eclectic, divergent, percussive.
Volume Two opens with one of the outstanding producers of this sphere, in Detlef Weinrich aka Tolouse Low Trax. A founder of the cult Dusseldorf’s Salon Des Amateurs, as well as a member of the inspirational krautrock stalwarts, Kreidler, Weinrich has been supporting the label since its inception in 2012, including appearing on soFa DJ’s Elsewhere LVI and remixing kosmiche supergroup, Dream Machine. Here a perfect opening with a special unreleased Dub mix of Ossia - featuring guest vocals from Eva Geist - from his most recent album, Leave Me Alone, released on Hamburg’s esteemed Bureau B.
Following is t-woc, Ireland’s mixing master / producer, as with his appearing on Elsewhere LVI, providing a beatdown vox pop, that delicious knack for a hook and floating Latin grooves. Delightfully, Al Wootton joins the fray, his Altai is intricate percussion showing his journey from Dubstep prodigy, purveyor of UK Garage and with his recent incarnation as co-founder of trio Holy Tongue, a Dub meets Industrial mastering of all things bass. The Eastern mystique crashes against 606 clap, propelling a wandering essence.
Iro Aka, a Barcelona duo steadily gaining attention provide some modern acid dance psychedelics with Generations. Gentle breakbeats, tripthelightfantastic vocals and twisted fx propel Side two. Building on releases for Hivern Discs and Terra Magica, their productions and edits lend ears. The Digidub of HLM38, with the beautifully titled Mystery Train Riddim follows, capturing Julien Viallet’s (General P.D.C / Notte Brigante) project, a welcome counterpoint and hint at future collaborations. To close this half comes stalwart of sub-label [Emotional] Especial, with friend, uber-designer and producer Jamie Paton. As that label approaches its own 50th release milestone, Paton jumps over to highlight his “primordial soup”, an acidic dub wide-screen excursion of late make Lost Margins, an aptly titled close.
The final half of All Trades switches it up, with the Balearic bounce of London’s Good Block. Diggers, DJs, party purveyors and now producers, their 3 self-released EPs are all ‘must haves’ and here, Strong Relax is the light to a lot of the compilation’s darker moments, a wonderful bass and keys skip in the sunshine. Next Stefan Schwander aka label favourite Harmonious Thelonious / A Rocket In Dub offers his new project, the electronic Dub-Funk swing of While My Sequencer Gently Bleeps and the hopping breaks of the infectiously titled Ready. Anatolian Weapons return to the label, after appearing on the Elsewhere LVI compilation of past, the ethnic chug of Mountain Echoes the perfect addition from a producer steadily showcasing.
The final side starts with Shelter, Alain Briand’s wide-ranging project that has encompassed New Age and Balearic leanings for International Feel and Growing Bin Records, before moving on to House and Breaks and later some Digidub essence for Séance Centre. Here in The Four Knights Dub, his pushes his love of bass further with a widescreen crashing digital explosion. Susumu Mukai offers the counterpoint. From his early electro inspired years with XL, Kitsune and Ed Banger, Mukai has carved a niche as a Bass player extraordinaire, as one half of the Balearic Pop-Funk of Becker & Mukai, the Psychedelic Pop of Vanishing Twin, the new addition to Holy Tongue, plus his recent return as Zongamin for Multi Culti, highlight a man in his prime. To close, a new artist appears with Akulina. Taken from the wonderful debut album “Faldrum” from Alison Marks, its closing track started as a remix of Linus and Amy from their “The Black Below” album, appearing here edited especially for the release and is the perfect closing. Oscillating, mournful, but optimistic.
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