Hydrogen Dukebox
(Hydrogen Dukebox/Hypnotic)
Various
Buy Me Try Me
(Hydrogen Dukebox/D.E.I./Fusion III)
20th Century
Ambient
Drum And Bass
Electronic / Experimental / Industrial
Industrial Rhythm
Techno
Trip Hop, Breaks, Dub, World-Fusion
(Very) Alternative
Contact
Out in the U.S. is this collection of tracks and remixes by former Drum Club member Lol Hammond, who has returned to making block rockin' club tunes. As Girl Eats Boy, he pursues the Hydrogen Dukebox label's sound of beats and breaks, mixing up elements of dub, electro, funk, hip-hop and techno. "Chemical Phunk," from his Thrilled By Velocity album of last year, shakes the groove thing like one of Jack Danger's hypnotic Meat Beat Manifesto numbers. His remixes also pack a punch, as the Girl Eats Boy mix of Dreamgrinder's theme sounds like a meaner Propellerheads. And his "Back For More Mix" of the Creatures' "2nd Floor" brings the funky drumming to the original's electronics, while sampling Coldcut's favourite Flip Wilson impersonation. Also on this compilation are several remixes by other producers from Girl Eats Boy's Comin' In Loaded collection, including Omnivore's heavy electro-dub version of "Rude Girl Steppin'" and the Dub Pistols dub & breaks mix of "Napalm In Bohemia."
The original acidic breaks of Girl Eats Boy's "Napalm Death" are now found on a new low-priced import sampler direct from Hydrogen Dukebox, Buy Me Try Me, that also features Hammond in Slab, his project with former Sabrettes boss Nina Walsh (who is Andy Weatherall's wife). Slab's James Brown-sampling "Funked Up Kid" is from a recent single that featured a fat bass synth-driven remix by one of the leaders of the new school of breaks, Rennie Pilgrem (which is also found on the Hydrogen Dukebox comp). Other highlights in Buy Me Try Me's bright yellow jewel case include a super funky electro track by the Experiment (formerly Doi-ing), "This Is What Funk Is For;" the Dub Pistols' digi-dub and old school breaks remix of the Creatures' "Thank You;" and the big beats of TLM's spacious "Electrastar." Several good reasons to put Hydrogen Dukebox on your shopping list.