Uitgebracht
February 2018
- Before "lo-fi" in dance music meant DJ Seinfeld and YouTube algorithms, it was a fuck-it-all punk attitude that helped define labels like L.I.E.S. and The Trilogy Tapes around the turn of the decade. These records could work dance floors, but they were fuzzy and distorted, as though built with busted equipment. Since debuting in 2013, Rezzett have been making some of the most intriguing dance music in this sphere. After a run of strong EPs for The Trilogy Tapes, Rezzett's self-titled debut album is a deep dive through ambient, techno, house and jungle. It's slightly more experimental than their past work, but also comfortingly familiar.
In her review of Goodness, Steph Lee noted that Rezzett's music "just didn't feel dark" in spite of its caustic aesthetic. That idea is key to understanding their music, and Rezzett features some of the London duo's prettiest work yet. It opens with gliding techno in "Hala," which is uplifting and elegant in spite of its craggy textures. The otherworldly ambient of "Yunus In Ekstasi," or the ethereal techno of "Longboat," two of the LP's most beautiful tracks, are partially hidden by fuzz. The duo's deft melodies and springy rhythms are buried in this way across the LP, and the results are often rewarding.
Rezzett can be surprisingly versatile. For every percussive workout there's something like "Sexzzy Creep," with its drunken Actress-like stagger, or the vaporwave-esque "Wet Bilge." These outré moments keep the LP from settling into a rut. It's a well-paced album, ebbing and flowing before closing with the flighty, climactic jungle of "Worst Ever Contender," which might be the group's most anthemic track. While Rezzett doesn't drastically improve on their past records, it shows the duo's range and their low-key ingenuity.
Tracklist01. Hala
02. Longboat
03. Sexzzy Creep
04. Yunus In Ekstasi
05. Wet Bilge
06. Tarang
07. Gremlinz
08. Worst Ever Contender