- Even if the music fails to impress, it's difficult not to admire Sandwell District's bloody-minded approach. Having released some of 2008's best techno, and, faced with the prospect of wider recognition, the label's latest move is to put out a record by an anonymous producer. Maybe Sandwell is trying to reinforce its anti-branding stance—which of course could be construed as the most effective branding of all, a la Underground Resistance—which dictates that the music, irrespective of who produced it, is the only concern. While some labels may view such behaviour as commercial suicide or a badly missed opportunity, Sandwell's modus operandi is smarter. The label is steadily building up a buy-on-sight following, which won't be disappointed by its twelfth edition.
With no original tracks on offer, it's left up to Sandwell's mainstays to deliver "edits." Regis' offering is a throbbing, menacing groove, featuring an eerie organ sample that's just about audible in the background. It's hard to hear because the UK producer's all-consuming bass supersedes everything else, commanding the listener's attention until the track's abrupt end. Function's take is as repetitive but more teased out, the house-based, loopy rhythm underpinned by loose metallic percussive slivers that threaten to dissolve without ever actually doing so. And while the C/H Signal edit's stripped back, raw and noisy rhythms are reminiscent of the label's origins in '90s Birmingham techno, "12" proves that it's the future that's Sandwell's for the taking.
Lista de títulosA N/A - Regis '08 Edit
B1 N/A - Function Edit
B2 N/A - C/H Signal Edit