Boomkat
De:Bug
Jockey Slut
Neural
Seven Reviews
Shout

Boomkat (UK)
Following their excellent EP for Adult's Ersatz Audio imprint, Ontario's Gregory de Rocher returns with this ace 6-tracker on his very own Suction imprint. The trademarked quirkoid electroisms are maintained, albeit with a crispier delivery that sits gorgeously comfortably between the crunchier end of dancefloor electro and it's retroglazed synthpop cousin. The opening title track bublles forth with a warm oscillating bassline and perfectly executed key transitions that flow with enough squashed bounce to satisfy all who cross its path. "Starting The Stereotypes" removes the beats altogether, revealing a spacious analogue underwater world that brings to mind the oriental-tinged lullabies that Isan have perfected over the years. "Flakmot" displays beat brilliance with some casio-treated percussive bursts and edible body-poppin' interjections... all complete with the usual intuitive melodic flair that Rocher appears to have mastered so effortlessly. Fans of Ersatz, electropop and pure old dancefloor jacking will find much enjoyment within. Ace.

De:Bug (Germany)
Endlich wieder Lowfish, dessen Ersatz Audio EP übrigens auch fertig und ready ist. Vier neue Tracks des kandischen Elektroroboters und zwei zurücklizensierte Killer gibt es hier zu bestaunen und in der Tat entwicklet sich Lowfish immer mehr zu diesem Typen, der die Monster einfach rollen lässt. Funktioniert beim Elektropop genau wie beim Drum And Bass. Und wie. Die 808 bollert und schießt eine Triole nach der nächsten ab, die altertümlichen Kommunikationsschnittstellen der Synthesizer laufen heiss, bei den ganzen Arpeggiatoren, die hierin den Orbit geschossen werden und dann explodiert alles und es werden Bazooka Joe rumgereicht. Schmacht. Wie perfekt geht das eigentlich noch? Strike. 5/5

Thaddi Herrmann

Jockey Slut (UK)
Gregory de Rocher is the fella behind lowfish and he's happy making melodic, tripped-up electro that dares journalists to find ways of describing it. Head straight for "The Superuser" and have a go at categorizing the intricate hi-hats, daring structures and subtle beats yourself. Calling music "listenable" always seems stupid, but that's exactly what this is.

Neural (Italy)
Electropop di frontiera dal Canada di Lowfish, aka Gregory de Rocher, fra sintetizzatori vintage e suggestioni primi anni ottanta filtrate da un approccio alquanto giocoso. Sonorità allo stesso tempo compite e controllate, cerebrali e divertite, in bilico fra funzioni differenti, non diremmo propriamente dj-friendly, intendendo con questo propensioni puramente dancefloor, ma a quei consumi in qualche modo parallele, come note aggiuntive al corso principale di una complessa narrazione. Un Ep interessante e gradevole, solo sei tracce scandite da robotiche drum machine ed evoluzioni memori dei primi Depeche Mode o della muzak sintetica in voga dopo la sbornia del punk. Peccato che una cospicua corrente di recupero delle sonorità anni ottanta, a livello di djing, in Italia, sia appiattita da tempo solo su un revivalismo cristallizzato e scarsamente contaminato dalle proposte contemporanee. Una congegnata e gradevole produzione che bene funziona (all'estero) di sponda ai successi synth-core.

Aurelio Cianciotta

Seven Reviews
This EP on Suction Records is a lot closer to the sound of the label than simultaneously released EP on Ersatz Audio. Of course, a careful listener will notice the traces of more upbeat electro-minimalism throughout this album, definitely an underlying motif in recent work by Lowfish. As if proving the title of the album, each track balances on tight percussion pulses and a stylish analog retro minimalism that can only bring a smile to your face and make your heart swell with the purity of emotions. It is not as lush as its labelmate Solvent - the atmosphere is a bit more somber, but every once in a while sweet soaring synthlines break through (Theme To Parked Cars, closing Cadmium Red), and with the addition of the elegantly primitive vocoder effects (The Superuser) the music becomes irresistible. I am still trying to figure out the nature of my fascination with the style - partially it comes as yet another twist in the spiral of music appreciation that would not be possible without years and years of exposure to other genres; perhaps partially it comes from the geeky fascination with retro analog devices and low-fi sound of the past, transformed and augmented with modern styles. I wonder if it is possible to fully enjoy this genre without similar (and probably excessive) music luggage - it is inherently subject to cross-referencing, since it is reviving something that has started a while ago, only taking it to the next level of the evolution spiral. In any case, just like with any Suction Records material, this is defnitely a release not to miss.

Shout (USA)
Filtering acts like Yaz, Erasure and Soft Cell through his lo-fi gearhead gauntlet, '80s electro-pop obsessed Gregory de Rocher creates a crystallized complex of sub-sonic bass booms and high-energy dance-floor dynamics.

9 ohms of impedance out of 10.