Laroca: Unit 125 EP
Monday, 07, Dec 2009 03:11
Just Music, out now.
What's it all about?
Following the great Valley of the Bears, Laroca are back and have worked with a number of producers in the world of dubstep, down-tempo and house music to recreate one of the album's more interesting tracks, showing how much the offering can change with a little help from their friends.
Who's it by?
Laroca are not too well known outside the circuit they operate in, which is a shame. Luckily, Olly Wakeford gave inthenews.co.uk an interview to put across what their entire ethos is as artists, with the one half of the group showing the true gentlemen they are. You can read it here.
What the others say
"Their instruments establish a unique identity, whether updating Isaac Hayes' oceanic orchestral soul or by subtly becoming as dry - and French - as Air." - Uncut
"Hints of Africa, sweeping electro and heroic brass." - Q
So is it any good?
I had the pleasure of reviewing their last CD and interviewing Olly, so I suppose it stands to reason that the more perceptive readers are going to take my analysis with a pinch of salt, given that many may think I fawned over them in the past.
Still, the truth is this: Laroca are a brilliant pairing. The depth of the guys' music, which was demonstrated in Valley of the Bears - most notably the track Elevator Tester, a sort of WipEout 2097-esque menu track - is there for many people to hear.
And it's made better with this short and sweet offering which, despite not being the work of Laroca as much as it is the contributing artists Aaron Jerome, Bangatang and Harvey K'Tel, shows just how flexible just one song - Unit 125 - can be.
While all of them essentially have the same rumbling bass, happy brass section and one phrase broadcasting overhead, each artist owns their spot and turns one of the less-memorable tracks from Laroca's second album into something pretty damn powerful.
The Bangatang version of the tune is possibly the stand-out offering, with the track varying the beat in a grimy dub way into something with a completely different purpose to the original. It's almost like Parliament on drugs stronger than they were likely taking back in their heyday, with a fat and dirty bass slapped over the top, before devolving into a song which seems like it wants to be intrusive yet relents, making it surprisingly easy to chill out to.
However, that's not to say that the Bangatang mix is the best - just the most varied. The best seems to be Harvey K'Tel's piece, which also seems to give you flashbacks of 1997 Sega Saturn racing music (NOT Sonic R's music, let me get this straight).
The addition of a Spanish-esque guitar riff, which floats underneath the main tune, really adds to the depth, as does the distortion of the lyrics (not to mention their more regular appearance during the tune). The refrain mid-song also mixes it up a lot and sounds like something that wouldn't sound out of place on a Battles album.
Aaron Jerome's 126 remix is quite a delight too, sounding like the song the Cantina band in Star Wars would've played to warm up before repeating their jolly tune ad infinitum as rapists and murderers stalked the bar looking for nubile Jedi to fight. It's a much more relaxed affair, truth be told; it never quite takes the bull by the horns, but as the first track and in the context of the entire EP, it's well-placed.
An extra version of Brassic which is bundled with the Unit 125 remixes, done by Pariah Network, is a bass-heavy uplifting piece with plenty of sax work to keep you craning your neck. Still, it seems to build up to something which never quite comes, though as a remix it's still limited by the original track which, for all intents and purposes, was probably best left alone because it was so strong in the first place. Whatever; he's done the best he can.
If you're a fan of Laroca already, then you won't be disappointed. If you're still without the enlightenment the band can offer, it's probably best you get Valley of the Bears before throwing yourself into this one.
8/10
Matt Gardner