Pull Up

Pull Up

Dan Curtin [Leena Music]

16 April, 2008 | 8.34AM

• Section: Music Recommendations
• Written by: Richard Brophy 2

Before I review this new release on Leena Music, I have a confession to make.

Myself and Dan Curtin have history.

Not in the biblical sense, nor did we ever fall out — far from it.

But because his 1990s releases played a huge role in introducing me to techno music.

I still rate his album trilogy from the early to mid-1990s (‘The Silicon Dawn’, ‘Web of Life’ and ‘Art & Science’) — as techno’s greatest series.

Forget Juan, Carl, Pennington or Derrick - Curtin’s work at that juncture was the most Detroit (even though he’s from Cleveland) in the sense that his music was really out there.

I even used to think that Curtin was kidnapped by aliens and that’s why his rhythms were so three-dimensional and his arranging so wildly unpredictable.

As the 1990s progressed, I lost touch with his music for a whole variety of reasons, but I knew that he’d moved to Berlin at some stage and was releasing on Jay Haze’s label.

Fast forward to 2008, and Curtin is making his Leena Music debut.

‘Glance’ is a useful DJ tool, combining the raw beats of his Purveyors of Fine Funk project with a looped deep house hook.

Meanwhile, the title track has echoes of his past and references the present; clicky minimalist beats — very much in the Mobilee vein — underpin a sparse analogue stab, acidic yelps and a haunting, spacey riff.

‘Pull Up’ isn’t on par with ‘The Silicon Dawn’ (what is?), but it reminds me that Dan is still out there, and that makes me feel good.

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