Nicholas Sauser & Ditch: Vizard EP
Goosehound

Goosehound's fourth release unites Nicholas Sauser (one-half of Socks and Sandals) with Ditch (Berlin-based Shin-Ichiro Kono) on two cuts with foundsound's Barem crashing the party with a remix. Eerie noises open “Vizard” spookily but a bass drum snappily cuts a swathe through the murk, making way for claps, off-kilter percussion accents, and a burbling bass attack. The tune never entirely severs its connection to the urban jungle, however, judging by the garbled voices, grinding noises, and high-pitched tones that resound throughout. At ten minutes, the tune offers Sauser and Ditch a great avenue for flexing their creative muscles and they make the most of the opportunity. Argentinean Barem gets in on the act with a funky “Vizard” remix that clears away some of the original's noise to allow its grooving heart to beat more openly. In the swizzling funkateer “I Gotta Move On,” a chunky bottom end gallops cheekily while a traffic jam of quirky whirrs and sputter collides with sliced voice babble. Never before have Goosehound, foundsound, and Microcosm sounded so close in spirit and style as they do here.

January 2007