Phobia - Phobia (DJ Hell / Silence Mix)
It still seems so easy to write off International Deejay Gigolos, even if it’s now a full five years or so since the death of electroclash. Their rampant release schedule and terminally hit-or-miss CD compilations have never done them any favors, and I would actually agree with naysayers who claim that their M.O of sleazy rave, electro-techno, and acid works better in theory than in abundant practice. Yet looking back over the last three years, I’m surprised how many quality tracks they’ve been a part of, from the DJ Hell remixes by Dominik Eulberg and Superpitcher, the Psychonauts “World Keeps Turning,” Abe Duque’s album, and Johnny Dangerous’ fantastic “King of Clubs,” to great recent sides from Terrence Fixmer and Kevin Gorman.
And here we are again, with another massive release: DJ Hell’s perfect update of Phobia’s (aka Pink Elln) self-titled proto-trance cut from 1991. Pretty much all the elements that made the original such a smash are here: an eerie two-note drone acting as a depth charge, a slightly melancholic diva wail, and a spoken voice intoning “let me have silence.” DJ Hell just seems to fill in the blanks in making it sound contemporary, basically giving it a sleeker drum kit and some reserved acid lines; the source material does the rest of the heavy lifting effortlessly. On the flip side is the “Silence Mix,” a co-production between Pink Elln and Atom Heart, which uses the two-note drone as the basis for a frigid piece of ambience that threatens but never quite makes it way into something comfortable (a good thing). It’s actually a little hard to believe “Phobia” is over 15 years old, as this single makes so much sense, and sounds so vital.
International Deejay Gigolos / GIGOLO 213
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[Michael F. Gill]