Andres Bucci: Chocopanda
Kupei Musika

John Keys: Who's Afraid Of Virginia Tsedong?
Crosstown Rebels

Listeners with a jones for minimal techno seasoned with South American flavour won't be disappointed by this latest offering from Andrés Bucci. On Chocopanda, his follow-up to 2005's Don Julio's Converseria EP (a Cynosure collab with brother Pier Bucci), the Santiago de Chile native pairs two swinging originals with a remix by compadre Dandy Jack (Martin Schopf). “Get Down” lays squiggly, hooting sounds and tiny glitchy details over a stomping 4/4 while a voice intermittently croaks the titular phrase amidst various breakdowns and dropouts. “Sentinel” likewise swings, and holds interest with its incessantly playful mix of jittery rumble. Dandy Jack's B-side makeover of “Get Down” exploits even more obsessively the micro-detailed, fidgety character of the Bucci original but renders it even more club-ready by giving the kick drum added punch. Schopf's version stomps too but its subtle incorporation of shimmering keys invites close listening too.

Eager collaborator Dandy Jack also hooks up with Andres Garcia, a classically-trained composer from Geneva and electronic music aficionado, for three wide-ranging tracks on their debut EP under the John Keys moniker. “Torturing Lines” ups the playful ante of Bucci's EP by adding ‘Looney Tunes' touches like ricocheting bullets and galloping accents to its swizzling flow. In this ultra-caffeinated cut, Schopf and Garcia clearly prove that hilarity and funk can co-exist in a single tune. Also featured on Jamie Jones' Get Lost 2 mix, “Rumba Triste” lowers the shade for a late-night workout of serpentine South American rhythms. “A Caballo Por Manhattena” reintroduces a clubby techno feel but mixes things up by adding the desert twang of steel guitar and even harp plucks to its stoked Latin-flavoured swing.

June 2007