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Hecq, "0000"
On this sprawling double disc compilation (one all new material, the other reworkings of the aforementioned material), there is a combination of an artist trying out new things, but presenting them in the framework of a DJ mix album. It's a difficult proposition, but one that works.
Hecq trounces across electronic music's genre boundaries on the 17 numbered tracks that make up this album, fusing elements of ambient, industrial, hip-hop, and the unfortunately named IDM, into what feels like a mix compiled for the club, but one done by an expert DJ who can take the somewhat disparate styles and coalesce them into a consistent, flowing album.
The more "out there" tracks, such as the alien voices and choral samples present in "0008" and the dying throes of an old sampler that make up "0009" manage to hang nicely with the soft, gentle synth organ of "0011" and "0016." Putting these next to the breakdance-friendly classic hip-hop beats of "0003" and the Autechre-esque sputtering loops and crunches of "0014" seems like a dangerous proposition, but Hecq pulls it off, meshing just the right amount of commonality between the very different styles. There are some other moments that are oddly bizarre as well, like the random sampler bursts and field recordings on "0004" and the softcore power electronics of "0015."
The second disc doesn't quite meet the high bar set by the first one, which isn't a surprise given the nature of outsourced remixes. The two remixes of "0001" submitted by Rekt put the stress on the beats (which were essentially absent in the original version). The first sticking closer to the dance floor with thumping beats, however the second is techno for automobile construction robots: all distorted fuzzy thumps and factory noise rhythms. With one exception the remixes (by the likes of Mad EP, Snog, Newt, and other, lesser known artists) keep the tracks more on the dance floor instead of the chill-out zone and put more focus on the beats and rhythms. The exception is Sknss [vs. Snog] which abandons the beats in lieu of digital ambience, which is all well and good, but for some reason Snog saw fit to add in some stereotypical goth/industrial vocals, which really detract from the track and causes it to stick out of place amongst the other tracks included, in a bad way.
Single misstep aside, Hecq has assembled a wide-reaching compilation of different electronic styles within his own work. Additionally, it contains a variety of remixes that may not really break any new ground or do anything exceptionally unique but still make for an entertaining listen.
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