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With its fourth catalogue number, Steinlach returns to the vinyl format with a remix EP. On board are international friends of the label, who layed hands on Wice's originals with outstanding re- interpretations. While the A-side contains two groovy and club-oriented remixes of "Just kiddin", the trippy flipside focuses on the second outcome of the label and refers to the two pieces "Absent" and "Hertz".

The record opens with a fast-paced and jacking "Just Kiddin" version by Deep'a and Biri. The two guys from Tel Aviv re-interprate the clubby aspect of the piece, furnish it with a portion of percussions and accompany it with a volatile beat. Discharging the track with a big bang, they're leaving the listener with no chance but to move energetically to the groove patterns while cherishing the original lead melody.

Just like Deep'a and Biri, Jon Hester bets on the energy and the recognition value of the original synth line. As typical for Jon, he gives a more Chicago-style housey and bouncy touch to the composition. The lead is getting chopped, re-interpreted and re-arranged into a new groove and melody pattern, sure to inspire the floor to shake and to catapult everyone around into a frisky dancing mood. Suddenly, the well-known arpeggio of the original comes in and makes for the climax of this brilliant remix.

With side B, the club aspect of the record might not be left behind, but moved into more stripped and trippy terrains. The B1 track is fashioned as a ruthless "Absent" version, unmistakably having Refracted's writing all over it. The smallest variations of the synth line, drones, and pads, without resorting to typical drum rack aspects, find their way deep inside the listener's head, and draw them into their subtle rhythm. The unapologetic roughness of the interpretation is striking and makes it a brilliant peaktime weapon.

Rounding up the whole EP, the last remix of the record is a wonderful re-interpretation by the talented Australian that is Mosam Howieson. He ministered to Wice's personal favourite piece and crafted a loving and deep version of "Hertz", which translates the magic of the original into own words and emotions, adds a subtle groove to it, then invites to listen more carefully. One quickly dives into a hopeful world in which a certain magic seems to be present, and where everything seems to be alright. Be it as a perfect last piece after a long fulfilling evening, or as the outstanding means to make the sun rise in the morning-Mosam's interpretation sure hits the spot.

Special thanks go out to our close friends Simon Sandleitner who is always in charge of the great artworks and Roger Reuter (Roger23) for having always an open ear, his helpful advises and his thought-out criticism.

180g

Hybris Is A State Of Dissoluteness, Of Loss Of Control, Of Greed And Of Lustfulness. Following That Motto, Wice Takes His Listeners On A Journey Through A Hybristic Process On His Second Steinlach Ep, Which Chooses An Enchanting And Euphemistic Entrance Into Hybris With Absent (no Aggression). Gentle Pads Create A Peaceful And Dreamy World That Is Turned Into A Fascinating Landscape Of Sound By Trippy Drums And Dopey Synths And So Pushes Wide Open The Gate To Hybris. The Threateningly Booming Hb11 Then Finally Enters The State Of Hybris: Synths And Drums Pump Adrenaline In Heads And Bodies, Dancing Turns Into Greed, The Complete Lack Of Control Sets In. That Lack Of Control Riots Towards Its Peak With The Eponymous Hybris, Which Tears The Listener In Technoid And Gritty Manner Into The Abyss Of Hybris And Holds Him Captive Down There. Hybris Is Followed By Nemesis, The Divine Punishment Ending In Death: Wice Interprets This Transition Towards Nemesis With Hertz, A Playful And Breaky Good-night Kiss, Which Feels Pretty Damn Good And Resonates Bittersweetly.

Hedonism in its purest form means nothing but adjusting one s life and ambition towards pleasure and joy as well as the prevention of pain and sorrow. Following that concept, Wice s first EP takes the listener along on a journey of extremes: persistently strolling between sensual desire, ecstasy and lust as well as the deepest abysses of human sensitivities.
Coherently, just kiddin drags the listener right into Wice s universe of fabulous oppositions without any prior warning: the Peak Time Killer, inspired by the love of Detroit Techno of the 90ies, exhibits irrepressible energy, velocity and surprising twists and turns. Driven by the progressive drive of the drum patterns, the voyager, trapped in a mesh of percussions, wanders confused and disoriented on dance floors looking for support and, as if out of the blue, finally gets released by the warm synthline and gently taken by the hand. Simply just kiddin.
When legs are broken, things have to be done can be described as a small masterpiece of urban, intelligent dance music. The composition, which ranges in between complexity and simplicity, with its breaking beats in combination with spheric pads shows up the necessity that one should, despite setbacks, consistently remind oneself that life, love and music reveal their most beautiful aspects in a balanced and smooth flow.
The eponymous track hedonism draws a painting of obscure and rugged techno landscapes, which attract the listener magically, even though their beauty and grace can only be assumed at first glance. Once identified, the shimmering pads, the forceful bassline and the impulsive percussions unfold a world riddled with the most beautiful abysses and animality hedonism in its purest and most sinful form alike.
With blind certainty a downtempo piece rounds off the EP, which is supposed to be comprehended as a reminder for all hedonists that blind trust may have positive as well as negative consequences.
The hopeful basic mood of the song, however, always lets the light at the end of the tunnel shine through, which emphasizes the optimistic exit of Wice s world of hedonism.

Deep'a & Biri curate a bevy of much-respected underground techno specialists to further unravel and reimagine the vital and sophisticated sounds of 'Dominance', their full-length LP released earlier in 2018.

Midnight Operator, the collaborative project of Mathew and Nathan Johnson, begin the set with their trippy and transcendent take on 'False Memories'. A rare remix from the pair, their return has been worth the wait; an expertly executed techno excursion, it simultaneously burrows deeper into the psychedelic textures of the original, while providing a club-centred kick.

Further blending the experimental and the physical, Peter Van Hoesen provides a typically complex and compelling take on Voltage, deconstructing the original and expanding each element in myriad, rave-specific directions.

Deep'a & Biri enlist rising Dutch DJ-producer Deniro contributes a rolling, hypnotic version of Dominance's spectral centrepiece, 'Alpha Cephei', while Z.I.P.P.O. charges down a tense, big-room industrial tunnel for his interpretation of 'Seeking Solace', hitting on a cathartic groove after a passage of uncompromising noise.

Concluding the EP, Steinlac'h Records founder Wice reimagines 'Theories of Loneliness' in dubby but propulsive fashion.