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The Church

This month sees the return of Mr Oizo to the airwaves. The now legendary LA-based, French-born producer who brought us the instantly recognisable anthem ‘Flat Beat’ has been absent from the music scene for a while whilst delving into film and remix work. His latest, The Church, comes to us via Brainfeeder and, true to the imprint’s style, is much more than just an electro record.

Oizo opens with ‘Bear Biscuit’, a wonky beat with a brash melody, followed by the analogue acid of ‘Ham’, which despite carrying an over-the-top carnival atmosphere is perfectly poised above the minimal percussion. ‘Dry Run’ returns to a slightly off kilter beat, produced as if to replicate the sound of two records playing out of synch. ‘Mass Doom’ is funky, whilst ‘Machyne’ would not be out of place in the dingiest of techno nights, with a superbly worked break down which builds to a crescendo, only to tease back down to a kick and bass line. ‘Church’ concludes the record, complete with four to the floor kicks and a deep vocal sample.

Perhaps the only criticism I can level is that this record is a modest ten tracks long, but the fact that it feels short can only be a testament to the quality of its content. Mr Oizo is much more than the man who brought us ‘Flat Beat’ and this record proves it beyond doubt.