Artwork : Suicide Club Barcelona
cargocollective.com/SuicideClubBarcelona


After a first compilation that regrouped many different artists, styles and techniques, we did not know what next to expect from the label.
For this second release, Nereida Records appears to have gone back to basic with a lo-fi, cheerful and definitely positive sounding release. Sicknife Mp3 EP "we're not welcome anymore" contains some fine techno & electro tunes that will certainly appeal to the dance floor scene, although we know that there is more than pure entertainment.
In short - a fresh summer release where the actual standard formulas in electronic music are being reinterpreted and where, with the old disco hi-hat pattern with open hi-hat on the off-beat, we clearly distinguish all mechanisms, accent and punctuation in its construction.

With an efficient simple structured approach, sicknife seems to have an idea of what happiness feels like. Take the first track here, the presciently named "Rock Your Mama" with its lush background sound and kicking bass line ala Acid Pauli, or the track "We wanted some destruction" that springs like a burst of energy after the melodic and contemplative "Crazy Live Rail". The effective walking bass have us wondering whether the primary goal of art is not indeed to broadcast the spirit of celebration everywhere it goes, not by painting what is already shiny, but by inspiring a movement, a notion of communion, with the fixed idea that all material, even atrophying, is convertible and can be transformed into something attractive.

The sounds are undeniably positive, in the meantime though the vocals broadcast a two-way message, especially perceivable in the last track "Big Crunch" referring to America. America of glitch, pop icons, glamour and power, but also the America of emptiness, of fast food, drugstores where people can suffer from a perpetual discomfort, lingering breathless and resigned. In fact it poses the question whether we can live and expand ourselves when our feelings and sensation are annihilated by the environment in which we evolve. No stagnation here though, the human being is in movement, but with limited thoughts and in slow motion. We also like the naïve and second degree dimension of the third track "Crazy Rail Live": some reverberated vocals, a catching melody and sicknife rises in all humility, with simple words, but words from the heart. The verbal virtuosity tends to sometimes bore us, and tired of watching the body style & techniques of everyone's work, we appreciate here a somewhat return to natural and sobriety.

This release will be followed by 4 remixes:- NER003, sicknife "we're not welcome anymore" (remixes) - release date : 19/07/2012
Containing remixes from Scrubber Fox, Baby Kruger, The Acid Lover (aka Compütah!) and Roy the raver.

Review by Cat Gabal