| When I saw James "Pedro" Rutledge live a long time ago he mentioned this project. James also mentioned the proposed names involved, that was before the Grey Album, before Cherrystones mind-altering mix for 13 Amp, before Four Tet's world domination last year. So you can see how Melodic, the record label, and presumably James himself, are rather excited about this release. Even so, it has been billed on the cover as a limited edition, so don't waste time. The remixes are all of the LP's standout track. But as these revisits pay little real attention to the original then it matters not. Of the mixes, I have to say my favorite is by far the Cherrystones version, adding a big fat slow driving hip-hop beat and strapping this to the bottom end, it just hangs around making the head nod nicely. The added twang guitar adds a rock element not usually associated with previous noises by Pedro, but, before we get to this version, there is the excessively broken Prefuse 73 mix. This is my first introduction to the man's style, and on the strength of this, it certainly won't be the last. Starting off with some of the original jazz-esque noises all fractured and stereo phased, the calm mood is quickly dispersed as the beat is indeed broken, splintered, scattered, yet somehow, the melancholy melody line is held intact, making the track very disorientating for the headphone experience. Then we get to the man with the plan in 2004 - Danger Mouse. He keeps the mix quite low profile with its laid back Dj Shadow style beat and minimal harmonies provided by harps, scratchy samples, weird bass-boom noises until the level of the beat increases adding more urgency and weight to the track for the 3 minutes. All very lovely, but won't get the non-music press into overdrive though. Of the other remixes, new name Home Skillet turns the track into a bizarre KLF style ambient trip with the samples of vocal chants, analogue synth clash and over driven percussion noises. It's a wild couple of minutes before the track settles into its inner space and establishes itself as a serious EP highlight. Definitely be watching out for the name again. And so the main attraction for many - Four Tet, with whom many compared Pedro to, upon his album release. There are obvious similarities, but seeing as the two sonic creators have known each other for ages and share a common bond in their styles then the link was bound to be more than just a mutual admiration. While I thought Rounds by Four Tet was a fine album, I have to say I listened to Pedro's album a lot more. So to say I was intrigued would be an understatement. And to be honest it can be a 20 minute endurance test if not in the right mood. Drifting along with random noises the listener (ok, me) just doesn't connect with the ambience, that is until 5 minutes in things suddenly pick up, as some of the mutant jazz that Pedro used originally, becomes a central theme. The jazz drumming, the subtle bass drones, the improvised sax break, all build up nicely into an intense cacophony. Just a shame that this section lasts for a few excellent minutes before we are plunged back into the excessive random echoed ambience. Edit this down and the track would have been a killer. Overall though, this EP is a superb primer for some of the UK's leading production gurus, which should hopefully raise the profile for future Pedro releases. - BBC |
1XEP/Out Of Print