Amir makes his triumphant return to Argot with an exceptional and strange EP, across three arresting new tracks. The Butterfly is a seductive record. Its supple grooves and unique textures are ear-catching whether or not you notice the twisted lyrics of “Butterfly (The Monarch)” or the read into titles like “Many False Prophets”. Yet close observers are rewarded with bread crumbs that bring Alexander’s perspective into focus
Experimental house and techno producer Community Corporation joins the Argot family. Predictably, pinning down the sound of Aquifier is tricky. Contrast, for example, the dub-influenced deep house looseness of “Sunken Water Table” – all tumbling keys and strange noises – with the clanking rhythms, mutant bass and ghetto-tech inspired swing of “Crystalis”. “Patent Lies” and the more Detroit-influenced “Subterranean Limestone”, meanwhile, sound like a tougher, more out-there take on the heady sound of the Mood Hut and Future Times camps.
Rising out of the unknown, Detroit producer Elizabeth Merrick-Jefferson makes a worthy debut on the Argot label. “Go Home” is a flurry jacking drums and gnarling synths that sound like Kraftwerk on overdrive, while “John Kronk” – cut from the same cloth as the aforementioned – is less hectic, with a melodious synth line and lighter percussive elements nipping softly in the background. “Astronomical Twilight” sees Merrick-Jefferson round out her debut EP with animated electro beats, subtle phasing effects and chiming Drexciya-like arpeggios that sound like they were played at high terrestrial altitude in a hypobaric chamber.
The Pittsburgh Track Authority trio of Thomas Cox, Preslav Lefterov and Adam Ratana continue to flourish, here joining the Argot ranks. “Giza” and its B Side accompaniment demonstrate a charming flexibility to their collective production palette. “Giza” is a resplendent slice of 2-step, the swift rhythmic touches blessed by luminescent melodic patterns and rapid orchestral edits. Complementing this, the trio engage their love of electro with the squiggly subaqueous flex of “Crosstown Blvd”.
A new label curated by Little White Earbuds’ Editor-In-Chief and Stolen Kisses label owner, Steve Mizek, delivers its first release from American producer, Amir Alexander. Its four tracks reveal a startling rich and complete aesthetic inspired by the history of American house while avoiding merely emulating its forefathers. Alexander’s commanding melodies are carried on hard-bitten beats and often guided by deeply resonant bass lines beftting of this trained bassist.
The Hipodrome Of Music 