- Since 2007, Innervisions' Secret Weapons series has been Âme and Dixon's platform for putting out mainly unreleased tracks they've been playing. This seventh edition is an eight-track double-pack featuring six originals and two remixes, and it packs more hits than misses. Agoria's "Alluvion" is a humming deep house monster, its euphoric peaks making it an unsurprising choice for the opening track. Eagles & Butterflies' "The Story That Never Ends" is a more muscular variation on the same rolling theme, its bassline flexing excitingly without overwhelming things.
The borderline abrasive clanks on Andre Lodemann's remix of Coyu's "Just Nin (He Cries At Night)" ratchets this bicep-kissing feel up further, even as a background mist of pads keeps things on the right side of classy. GoldFFinch's "Diatomic" is equally heady peak-time fare that features iron-fisted kicks and a vivid key pattern. The stressed-out rush of high notes and hydraulic drums on Simon Haydo's "Ominous" creates the feeling of its title without being too memorable, while Luca Ballerini's "Amore & Psiche" uses similar ingredients but ends up with something warmer and more inviting. Monoloc's "Flaneur" finishes the package on a high note, its robotic background meshing nicely with a dread-filled spoken vocal.
Michael Gracioppo's remix of Chasing Kurt's "Running Searching" is the package's only low point. Its ethereal guitars and swelling pads are pretty enough, but if you can get past a wide-eyed male vocal that includes lines like "use my broken wings and fly" then you're a more tolerant person than I am. It was unlikely that everything here would be a home run, but Secret Weapons 7's strike rate is impressive.
TracklistA1 Agoria - Alluvion
A2 Eagles & Butterflies - The Story That Never Ends
B1 Chasing Kurt - Running Searching (Michael Gracioppo Remix)
B2 Coyu - Just Nin (He Cries At Night) (Andre Lodemann Remix)
C1 Luca Ballerini - Amore & Psiche
C2 goldFFinch - Diatomic
D1 Simon Haydo - Ominous
D2 Monoloc - Flaneur