PEPE レコード& CD

Review: Big support including Chloe, Black Strobe, Claude Von Stroke and Guy Gerber for the Italian trio Margot following their massive 'Torch' on Great Stuff. 'Autunno' is a total early 80s retro meets Italo freakout that sounds like Visage meets Alexander Robotnik. Pulsating basslines and dreamed-out vocals work over a driving synthetic groove. The remix from Sweatshop (Eskimo/Dirty Dancing) ups the ante with a driving, synth-heavy approach that will be huge for fans of Tiga and the recent Turbo releases.

Review: Coco Bryce's Myor does the damage once again with new artist Pepe. Not a lot of information on Pepe is out there yet but these timeless beats give you more than enough to go on for now: 'Angels' writhes and weaves in a stark percussive ocean of ice before building up into a huge emotional wave in a similar way to Sully when he's jangling his foxiest materials. 'Birdfeed' is a little more sprightly and sun-kissed. Dreamier pads, lighter percussion but still bites hard when it needs to. Le phew!

Review: 
Piotr Rajski is also known as Pepe and Escapism is his second album. As with the first, it's a hard to easily define and categorise album with multiple genres and in between sounds all poking through the beats. It was written during the peak months of pandemic and writing much became a form of escape for the artist. The record has a more vibrant, colour and vivid feel than the first, and has a dreamy vibe that sure is good at taking your mind away from the here and now with broken beat, hip hop, jazz, funk and more informing its grooves.

Review: Valencia's Pepe has built up quite a discography over the last few years, with this fine outing on Church following similarly impressive releases for Let's Play House, Lobster Theremin, Loose Fit and Sprung. The EP's impressive title track is available in two variations: the sparkling, breakbeat powered "Roll Mix" - think hip-house style drums, weighty dub bass and occasional dreamy chords - and a "Bleep Mix" that beefs up the sub-bass while adding some suitably sparse, computer game style electronic melodies. Another clear highlight is "You Must Not Be Me", a fine combination of rush-inducing, sunrise-ready electronics and bustling breaks, while closing cut "Recollection" is a rather lovely drift into opaque ambient territory.