Shackleton - Fireworks

As diminished as my brain cells may be it didn't take me long to clock the words Shackleton, T++, Mordant Music and Honest Jon's all on the same record sleeve and so this one was coming home with me before the needle even got anywhere near close to the grooves. This is a counterpart release to the 'Deadman' 12" and on both releases the man is in true form with deep and dark tribal rhythms underpinning ultra eerie, stoned and futuristic techno sounds that balance the organic rhythms magnificently. Of course he's rinsing the bass to extreme sub-low levels with tracks that will work a sweaty crowd, gurning at 3AM and transport them straight into the twilight zone. T++ is always reliable and his remix of 'Fireworks' pushes all the right buttons. Bridging the gap between the spaced out and abstract and holding it down with his unorthodox yet efficient off kilter rhythmic structure. This one has a snazzy disorientating shuffle with clean sparkling pin prick sounds creating a nirvana that is semi Berlin techno and hybrid UK bass music. More evidence that Torsten possesses the midas touch. The second 12" in the doublepack starts with Shackleton's 'Undeadman' a rework of 'Deadman' which fellow followers will know from his stunning recent Fabric mix. Flip to hear old spar (spore?) Mordant Music tackle it with some ReMMix action which takes the original further into the abyss with some superb, ultra spaced out goodness with a hazy, dusty groove coming from the beats and a bassline that could have come out of Jack Dangers studio. Each track is total class and recommended.