Blawan is a little known dance floor techno artist hailing from somewhere down towards the south of England. And, for an Englishman, produces some of the best emulations of Glasgow techno I’ve ever heard. Blawan’s latest EP, confusingly entitled “His He She & She” is causing a bit of a split in the audience. You see, the a-side is quickly becoming the definition of a “love it or hate it” record – there is no middle ground here.
The track in question is brilliantly (you can already tell what side of the fence I sit) titled “Why They Hide Their Bodies Under My Garage”. It’s a pulsing, heavy, 4/4 stomping, with the weirdest hook I’ve heard in a wee while. Everything is detuned, everything is an octave too low, and everything for want of a better phrase, is fucked up. The drums gulp awkwardly, I can’t work out a single not of the music, and the vocal progressively becomes more demonic as the track continues (ok, it’s just a ring modulator but it’s used to stunning effect here).
The critics seem to think this is a tongue-in-cheek production, but I genuinely can’t hear that. I mean, it is a bit like if The Munsters made techno, or if The Monster Mash was given a good four to the floor techno rework, but does that really sound bad to anyone? I’ll admit, the artwork is a little too OFWGKTA for my liking, but other than that I have a real difficulty finding a flaw here.
Occasionally it’s nice to step back from the chin scratching, post modernist, up-it’s-own-arse techno. Blawan isn’t so much a step back, but more of a giant leap back, but he does so with an enthusiasm and energy that not many can approach. If you ask me, this is an absolute must for anyone looking to sample some UK style techno.
There doesn’t seem to be a digital release at the moment, nor is there any signs of one on the cards. So unless you’re willing to part with £9.99 + P&P for a huge plastic disc to be mailed to your house, like a bloody caveman, regrettably you’ll miss this. It is genuinely worth the hassle of trying to find though – mark my words, the price of this record will rocket in the next few months assuming it’s never released digitally.
Why They Hide Their Bodies Under My Garage? Under My Garage / Under My Garage / Under My Garage?
edit: You’ve already missed this, it’s sold out. Excellent.