COUNTERPARTS by AUX 88

Detroit electro legends Aux 88 are finally back with a full album of topnotch timeless retrofuturism. A moment we've all been waiting for here at Rush Hour. Absolutely essential.

::: RECORD OF THE WEEK ::: AUX 88 - COUNTERPARTS⁣

At Rush Hour we have a few artists we would follow to the end of the earth and beyond. Aux 88 is one of them. The Detroit electro legends’ new album ‘Counterparts’ has been awaited here with bated breath, so we are delighted to dedicate this week’s ROTW to them.

‘Counterparts’ is a yet another masterpiece of topnotch timeless retrofuturism by Keith Tucker & co. The double LP starts with a Kraftwerky vibe that crescendoes into classic Detroit techno. You Don’t Want None Of This warns listeners with the title before launching into a futuristic instant electro classic. The vocals maintain that almost robotic feel that Aux 88 is renowned for. It’s a definite club shaker. Moon Walker experiments with leftfield electronics, creating a bassline few artists can pull off to this standard. Electro In The Key Of Funk is slightly slower, again maintaining the classic electro sound in an electronic undulation of wonderfulness.

There is an almost computer game feel to Pothole Paradise. The track is fast, funky and melodic with its long synths, paying homage to the Detroit jitters. Manic sounds just that - manic. It has an incredibly heavy-hitting bass and is hectic but mystical, nodding to space like sounds that are consistent through the album. Personally, this is my favourite, it draws out everything I love about electro, a heavy but surreal vibe. The message that this album is futurist and space-like has been pushed enough, but no track encapsulates that like My Electro Visions Acapella. It takes a step away from the heavier sounding tracks, relying on distorted vocals and lyrical genius to create another Aux 88 classic. My other favourite track from this album is undoubtedly Stereolized, it captures the repetitive harsh-sounding yet playful tones that have always been a given in their earlier work. The final track My Electro Vision is intense with an almost B-Boy beat and again, elements of Kraftwerk with an added Detroit spice. It concludes an album that easily lives up to expectations and is absolutely essential for anyone who has even a mild interest in Detroit electro. (KAT)