The Hacker: “And Now…”

Filed under: Music Reviews   

(Uncivilized World Records)

You can’t accuse Michael Amato of being one of those lazy, opportunistic DJs who’s all about letting computers do all the work, as his second collection of mixes proves in all its straight-from-the-deck glory - no software was harmed in its making. Herein is all the trancy, cracked EBM you’d need for a party for the ages, including a redo of Front 242’s “No Shuffle” from the Alfa Matrix days (1985 to be exact) retrofitted with enough sampling that the deadpan vocals take on a completely new slant. Miss Yetti’s “Could I Kill You” receives a low-tech treatment, coming out of it with a lot of bleeping, fuzzy scratches and cat yowls for its time. It’s a constantly thrumming, organic experience, cheeseball A-Ha keyboards showing up when they’re needed, the depth of layering consistent and often breathtaking, Sleeparchive’s “Elephant Island” and a reverently constructed version of the rubbery “Pure” from 90s ravers GTO serving as better examples.

Posted on April 5th, 2007.

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