[Analogue Solutions]

The matter of legitimacy is no fresh topic in electronic music, with the earliest forms of house and techno themselves having borrowed liberally from other genres and even specific tracks. In more recent times, much cyber blood has been spilled over certain producers who emulate the sounds of other’s records, particularly when the originals are not that old themselves. A certain kudos however is bestowed upon those who masterfully re-edit older disco tracks, so much so that careers are built on it. So it’s a thin line to say the least that marks out the parameters of what is acceptable and what isn’t in the realm of re-sampling, re-editing and wearing your influences on your sleeve.

This points us in the direction of Eduardo De La Calle, self-professed fanboy and techno militia soldier of purist, Detroit techno and house. His most recent project in a fairly prolific discography dating back to 2003 is the Analogue Solutions label, an unabashed approach to copyright infringement via liberal sampling methods that sees him pay homage to mainly Detroit techno artists. Six releases into his Disco catalog on the label, De La Calle has been delivering the goods on his mission statement to give free rein to sampling, fusing together classic tracks and samples with one another to brilliant effect.

Disco 006 contains three such tracks, all of which add to the growing legacy of fine work coming out on the label, a real boon considering it has only been in operation since the start of the year. The exact amount of sampling that has been done on these tracks is unclear to me, because as much as I try I can’t for the most part place the original material. The spellbinding A-side, with its pained, falsetto vocal, is unmistakable though; Aaron Carl’s sweet voice from “Crucified” is worked in over the top of hypnotic, swirling analog rhythms that make the lyrics seem even more otherworldly than they already are. The groove on the first cut of the B-side is particularly familiar, and from the sounds of it De La Calle has looped it and added pulsing acid lines and atmospherics, creating a late night, grainy techno soundtrack to live by. The second track on the B-side attaches the trippiness of the A-side with some harder, tonal techno qualities, filtered and distorted to within and inch of its life.

The only problem I really have with the Disco releases so far are that they could all be mastered a lot better. Mixing these records into a set needs to be done with careful attention paid to the fact that the levels are much lower and the sound quality generally not as high as most other releases. Others may argue De La Calle and his Analogue Solutions work is that of a thief and plagiarist and they may well have a point. But having tested most of these releases at clubs and seeing the overwhelming response they get, there is no denying he is creating serious dance floor weaponry at the same time. Another debate could easily be launched about the pricing of these limited run 12″s, but for now it’s not about to stop me from buying some of the freshest, brand-new-second-hand techno I’ve heard in a long time.