SWAYZAK レコード& CD

Review: Swayzak's role in establishing minimal makes them one of the scene's greats. Their meticulously compiled discography has many treasures, and plenty of them are hard to find and expensive. That has long been the case with this EP, originally from 1998, but now reissued by the back-cat boffins at Rawax. 'Lokal' has it all across 11 immersive minutes, from the deft, loopy drum programming that floats above the floor to the wispy and synthetic melodies and churning synth hooks. 'Yardarm' is another majestic minimal symphony, though this one hits a little harder and might well be the best of the two because of it. It's a perfect mix of dreamy mental escape and irresistible body music for the wee-small hours.

Review: Swayzak is a micro house, minimal and techno duo, aka James S Taylor and David Brown from the UK, whose name alone will get many older dancers hot under the collar. Their craft was second to none during their peak and here we get a reminder of that with a new outing on Rawax. 'Floyd' is a jazzy dancer with live claps, spinning hi-hats and louche grooves all topped with synthetic synths that never quit. 'Doobie' is a more deep sound with late-night headsy vibes. The drums are supple, the synths squeal and spoken word mutterings add a human touch. Two well-realised and effective cuts from Swayzak.