[Workshop]

The collaborative nom de plume of Move D and Juju & Jordash has been a subject of brooding lust for many contemporary house fans worldwide. Since emerging from the dimly lit DJ booths of Amsterdam’s underground in 2010, it’s taken two years for the trio of hardware obsessives to release a debut on Lowtec’s seminal Workshop imprint. Not that one should approach a contemporary collaboration without a sense of vigilant precaution. Recent years have proven the fusion of electronic luminaries can often attest calamitous and uninspiring, highlighted by the ilk of Supermayer and, to a lesser extent, Moderat.

Drawing parallel to Move D’s 2011 Workshop 13, The Schnitzel Box Vol. 1 contains three tracks of droning deep house which faintly flirts within the acidic realms of techno. A definitely unorthodox synthesis, Move D’s penchant for analog-based sounds is juxtaposed against Juju & Jordash’s immersion in live instrumentation. “Untitled 1” highlights this contrast, with manual tone weaving throughout menacing synths and ominous keys. “Untitled 2” defies the notions of melody, percussion, and generic structure, with moaning snares outcrying the attentive undertows. The fluent portentous inclinations of Schnitzel Box Vol. 1 culminate in “Untitled 3,” with merciless kick drums swaying over seemingly infinite pulses of tempo and rhythm. The Schnitzel Box Vol. 1 is far from either’s most esteemed work, but is undeniably a refreshing and diversifying approach to the modern-day aural alliance.