V/A - Lost Machine

Tabernacle Records

Not content with an apparently never-ending run of excellent mixes, Slabs Of The Tabernacle have also been releasing limited-run vinyl on Tabernacle Records for the past couple of years. “Lost Machine” is the second split EP from Lost Trax and The Connection Machine, and it’s perennial electronic head music; all-killer while listeners still have pulses and active brain stems.

The mysterious producer / collective / whatever Lost Trax offer(s) up a couple of melodic techno tracks that pay respectful homage to Detroit with only the mildest aroma of pastiche. Confusingly, “B01” is actually A01, but it has that “anonymous first track on a B side” sound down pat; haunted pads, quasi-electro 808, squelch. Timeless, literally: this could have come out and sounded reasonably glorious at any time in the past twenty years; a gold star that could also be awarded to the inner-space explorations of “Dominion”, upping the electro quotient somewhat and rounding out the bass.

The Connection Machine supply a complementary flavour, though perhaps with added dynamics. “Klute” recalls yearning Smackos nostalgia, but with a vaguely menacing plod, and “After” is altogether lighter, as what might be heavily treated vocals float over the trickiest rhythm so far with regular drop-outs to semi-ambience. Boiling it down, you may already realise that this is something you’ll be searching for years from now: so buy it.

Sam Stagg

Listen to clips at the Tabernacle Records site