Hopefiend Out Of Know-Ware Plusquam (Germany)

I will admit, on first listen I hated this. And if “clean and clubby” happens to be three words you can’t stand in trance, then you’re perhaps best advised to steer clear. Essentially Mark Allen’s Quirk sound has evolved into a deep house conclusion that retrospectively makes sense, though ruffles feathers at the same time, ending up at a point that takes linear, club trance viewed through a pair of comedy vision-warping glasses. Squawker kicks off and after a static 4-4 buildup it’s into almost funky house territory; a vibe maintained by Fizzy Fruit, a dirty bit of filtered proto-disco with tribal backdrops and semimelodies that sort of hang in mid air. The Crunch (Wider Mix) takes an antiquated house pattern and touches it up with contemporary tribal clatters and some seriously nice synthwork, while Right Time takes a while to get going before opening up into a huge, rolling low-end synth workout that brings in – gasp! – acid lines to escalate sweetly into one of the nicest climaxes heard in a while. Inwards & Upwards picks up some nice cinematic atmospheres with oldskool sounds jostling against newskool, and Information Age opens up a pacier, more energetic stream with a sort of demo-display vibe that would stand out in a lot of varied sets. Crack Down is likely to make quite a big impression with it’s looped and morphed sample “never take a drug named after part of your ass,” a twisty and flamboyant bassline keeps things moving as synths build up into an effective atonal final run. Trigger Fish brings in electric guitars and is essentially missable, while the closing title track is essentially end credits stuff: the same clatters, wobbles, and filters seen throughout the album all brought back on stage for one final encore. Out Of Know-Ware might best be seen as a house album as much as a trance album, and it’s Mark Allen’s fresh take on both that’s valuable.

More info: www.plusquam-records.de