Basic Unit: Fedass
Fine Art

Israeli-based electronic producers Yair Etziony (Vermont, Faction) and Shlomi Avni (DJ Sola), who have been fusing elements of Detroit techno and German house under the Basic Unit name since 2005, make their Fine Art debut with the infectious Fedass EP.

The title track's a warm house-stepper that swings mightily once it gets going. Slightly stripped-down in character, the clubby cut's beats breezily skip and strut while syncopated percussive accents ping and echo. Make way for Gary Beck's delirious overhaul too, a jacking behemoth that adds congas, jungle chatter, and a bumping bass thump to its maximal attack. Next up is fellow remixer Pedro Cali who gives “Fedass” a soulful jazz-techno makeover that wouldn't sound out of place on Background Records. Old-school synth melodies give the tune a ‘70s vibe but, when they kick in, the steaming, cymbal-kissed beats couldn't be more fresh. Basic Unit's other original, “Pattern Matcher,” pounds relentlessly for eight breathless minutes, bringing the group's sound closer towards techno than house, though the balance shifts in the other direction in the second half. Throughout the furiously jacking piece, metallic wipes and hovering tones rub shoulders with a bubbly bass motif and thrumming percussive patterns. Fedass's club cuts are solid, regardless of whether they're heard in Israel, Chicago, or New York.

December 2007