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Every so often, you hear a track you desperately yearn to experience in a club environment, and Patrice Baumel's 'Mike Tyson' is this month's undoubted main candidate. Obviously, the track's title sets its up for obvious cliches, but this one really does pack a mean punch.
The kicks are relentlessly mapped out, the squealing synths are as bizarre as they come, and the overall effect is - for want of a better phrase - a serious assault on the senses. Like its namesake, 'Mike Tyson' is supremely mental, yet its brilliance is unquestionable. The real question is: Who's brave enough to play it out?
'The Threat' is another oddball track, that, while seemingly lacking direction, plays out over a course of relentless snares, eerie vocoder sounds and various other scattered elements.
Max Cooper's more ominous mix of 'Mike Tyson' only strengthens the 'What is this?' theme coursing throughout the release, and while I'm struggling for an apt definition myself, this remix is weird, and we're talking Aphex Twin live weird. Which - obviously - is a mighty good thing.
After exploring different soundscapes on his Vapours LP, it's refreshing to see this producer returning to such madcap and distinct pastures as he did on his biggest hit to date, 'Roar'.
Baumel's almost uncanny ability to diversify should endear him to many more yet.
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| Artist: Patrice Bäumel Title: Mike Tyson EP Label: Trouw Tracklist Mike Tyson The Threat Mike Tyson - Max Cooper Remix www.trouwamsterdam.nl www.patricebaumel.com Our Rating: 8,5/10 |
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