12"

genre: TECHNO

label: Paraiso Cat.No: Paraiso017

After producing a seminal documentary about the origins of Portuguese rave culture, Shcuro returns to his mother tongue, music, to deliver four tasters of Lisbon’s fresh yet classic underground flavour, just as Summer arrives. The “Echo Chamber” EP, Paraíso’s seventeenth outing, includes two equally excellent remixes, separated by the Atlantic: Brooklyn’s MoMA Ready and Berlin’s Mareena. The A side opens with two tracks conceived last year, as Shcuro was preparing a new live set. “No Expectations” opens the record with an adrenaline shot of a track that elegantly evokes early rave culture, with abundances of stabs, funk and feeling. A2’s “Persistence” follows suit with a work that oozes proficiency: sound design, dub techno learnings and masterful layering conspire to create a moment of pure techno magnetism. Closing the A side, “Deviation” picks up some of the energy of the previous track, whilst being a reworking from the artist’s unreleased back catalogue: another sign we are talking about authenticity. Intelligent percussion and refreshing thumps lead us into dub territories. “Suspension” opens the B side, picking up where the last original track left off: a beautifully produced track with fleeting mutable slashes that seem to swim alongside us in an imaginary oceanic dancefloor. Liquid and refreshing sensory motifs seem to underpin this record and this spirit pours into the remix fare, starting with MoMA Ready’s take on “Persistence”, which brings out the rawness of the original whilst adding a special touch with funky yet Robert Hood-esque minimalist work. Tresor’s Mareena steps in for a centered, dancefloor oriented, yet nonetheless mysterious, twist on “Deviation”, perfectly completing the record with the proficiency of a club resident. [info sheet from distribution]