If there is a spark of the spirit of the ludicrous ’90s still alive in dance music today, it isn’t in the neo-rave schlock being peddled by a group of creatively bankrupt “DJ/influencers.” Nor can it be found in the self-conscious throwbacks and homages dreamed up by some old quasi-indie labels that have likewise run out of ideas.
You can find it in the music and aesthetic of Hallucienda, a label with a legendary pedigree in the capable hands of DJ Three. Terms like “eclectic” are a cop-out. Underneath a modern sheen, Hallucienda has that left-field sniper shot and that dose of psychedelia that you can’t fake without sounding like a 3rd rate bubblegum band from 1969. In 2021 there are entire institutions dedicated to eradicating authenticity so when you find it you grab it and you hold it close because you don’t know when you’re going to find it again.
A year after the release of their album Love & Dancing On The Brink, Fanatico (a project from Jorge Socarrás and Mathias Schaffhäuser) launch this five track remix EP featuring mixes of “Witchin’ Me” and “Take It All.” On The Brink Volume 1 carries the implicit promise of more to come, and that is very good news. Indoor Man has a blurry, dissociative kick on the remix of “Witchin’ Me” which also sees Man Power continuing a formidable streak of unmissable mixes.
Chicago artisanal freak beat brewer Amir Alexander steals a piece of your soul on his Witching Hour Dark Dub mix of “Witchin’ Me” — not just a dark dub but maybe the darkest, dubbiest plunge. Blessing us with this piece from the underground firmament makes the EP and entirely validates the project’s existence. The EP gets its spiritual sustenance via Ulysses whose mix of “Take It All” breathes like a living wall and comes the closest music can get to the fear and sudden, shaking enlightenment of sensory deprivation.
Fanatico: On The Brink Vol 1 (Remixes) (Hallucienda / October 2020 / Digital)
1. Fanatico: Witchin’ Me (Indoor Man Remix) (07:34)
2. Fanatico: Witchin’ Me (Amir Alexander’s Witching Hour Dark Dub) (09:25)
3. Fanatico: Witchin’ Me (Man Power Remix) (07:30)
4. Fanatico: Take It All (Warehouse Preservation Society Remix) (06:23)
5. Fanatico: Take It All (Ulysses Remix) (06:10)
⚪️ Disclosure Statement: This record was submitted as a promo on behalf of the label.
This was originally published in 5 Mag issue 187: The Root of the Issue with Monty Luke, Brawther, Mark Wilkinson and more. Support 5 Mag by becoming a member for just $1 per issue.
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