Uitgebracht
December 2021
- Loopy techno (and haunting trip-hop) from a Tresor original.
- In a year when Tresor Records introduced plenty of new names and curveballs to its roster—mainly via its cutting-edge, 30-year anniversary compilation—it's satisfying to see one of the label's longest-serving workhorses end the year on a high. TV Victor, AKA Udo Heitfeld, first released on Tresor in 1994. 27 years later, with the release of GRV Vol. 2, Heitfeld sounds as timeless and authentic as ever.
Listening to GRV Vol. 2—and to a lesser extent its 2010 precursor GRV Vol. 1—you get the feeling Heitfeld makes music primarily for his own enjoyment. These tracks push the limits of repetition to indulgent extremes, but not necessarily in a way that demands to be mixed in a DJ set. Instead, these peculiar pieces seem content to exist alone and, thanks to Heitfeld's vast experience at the mixing board, they carry the weight of doing it just fine.
On opening cut "GRV Tr 6," time seems to stand still. It's only as the track wraps up that you realise you've been gently guided into TV Victor's languid headspace. The lop-sided rhythm of "GRV Tr 8" is a welcome tonic, recalling Voices From The Lake in its patient arrangement and organic sound palette. If Heitfeld's disregard for trends or functionality wasn't clear enough already, a raw, lumbering trip-hop beat seals the deal.
The EP's closing track feels like the dance floor-intended effort, which says a lot about Hetifeld's aims. It's more propulsive than other material on the record, but you would need a particularly locked-in crowd to keep the floor engaged.
Tracklist01. GRV Tr 6
02. GRV Tr 8
03. GRV Tr 7
04. GRV Tr 4