After playing at numerous I Love Acid parties across the UK, Eastern Bloc’s Kerrie makes her long-awaited vinyl debut on the label. Featuring three original tracks plus a remix from label boss Posthuman, it’s heavyweight acid techno and electro that was made for the darkest of spaces.
“Blackshadow Interloper” eases us into things with a strong, driving bassline, percussive stabs, and whirls of acid which grow in strength as the track unfolds. By the halfway mark things hit full hypnosis mode, and only get murkier from there. Brief remissions allow a moment to gather yourself before you’re thrust straight back in at the deep end; if the opener is anything to go by, we’re in for an exciting ride. “pHO” kicks things off with acid-tinged breaks, layered with eerie synths which quickly break down into an energetic bassline before the different elements start to build again. It’s not long before things are tail-spinning into complete dancefloor destruction. Peppered with choppy, deconstructed vocals on top of everything else, this track has more layers than a mille-feuille.
Kerrie’s third and final original track, “Magneticon” is a melting pot of energy; deeper and bassier than its predecessors, it still contains all the power needed to capture a room’s attention. Notably darker than the other tracks, the only word to describe “Magneticon” is seedy — and that’s meant as a huge compliment in this instance. Posthuman’s remix of “pHO” strips things back, keeping the driving force and increasing the percussion but sticking to a more minimalistic sounds than Kerrie’s original. A slightly more orderly version that the original, it gives the track a completely new sound in the way that any solid remix should.
ILA022 can be streamed and purchased via Bandcamp.