words: belcher

After talk back in September of two R&S badmen - Pariah and Blawan (collaboratively known as Karenn) starting a label together, I have finally managed to get my hands on the first release. Offering only the words “SHEWORKS001 - Cooked Up in Glasgow, Cut in Berlin” on the inner sleeve, and a rather kitsch streetlamp print on the flip which spills onto the otherwise white label, when I found it in Beatdown Records, I was immediately intrigued. 

Side A (presumably..) brings us “Chaste Down”, an off-the-chain unmistakably techno track which seems to be ridding the scene of the 808 kick snare trend of late, and moving to a much darker industrial feel. Lots of brutally metallic off kilter snares with a driving kick drum and hats which slice through the mix like a steel blade - a sound reminiscent of a not so well oiled matrix-esque factory. Genius percussion nonetheless, which had me brimming with excitement for the flip.

Side B begins with “Auflen Whip” - a barbaric onslaught of punchy, in-your-face four to the floor kick drum, followed by yet more factorial hi hat builds and metallic snares and shakers. When the bass drops at around the minute mark (as on the A Side), the brutality of the percussion seems to suddenly make sense as the all of the industrial one-shots are held together by a rolling sub-line and the Blawan tribal techno rhythms come into full force.

The final B Side, “Lime Wash (Barrelled)” starts with a beat reminiscent of a machine like cover of “Getting Me Down”, and builds on the darkness of the other two tracks, whilst lifting and dropping the mood with a number of different Hat timbres, pitches and rhythms. 

I must say, this is a very brave first record for the duo’s new “Works The Long Nights” label - but it certainly does it for me. I’m super excited to see what SHEWORKS002 sounds like!