Top Tracks: ‘Sixty-Four’

Top Tracks: ‘Sixty-Four’

Marc Houle [Minus]

30 August, 2008 | 4.26PM

• Written by: Amanda Connon-Unda
• Filed under: Music Recommendations: marc houle

Marc Houle’s current exclusively digital release series entitled ‘Sixty-Four’ on Minus follows his 2007 EP entitled ‘Techno Vocals’ .

With these releases he’s experimenting with sounds, and in the last few days Week 4 has been released, with 3 tracks that are very impressive.

Conceptually this project represents ‘work in progress’, and in fact his tracks functioned primarily and initially as DJ tools for Marc, Magda, Troy Pierce and Richie Hawtin over the summer during their Contakt shows.

The tracks have an inherently experimental quality about them - but Week 4 shows the maturity of his work and some truly excellent results. 

When one listens carefully to the tracks one can hear how Marc varied the semi-rare machines at his disposal - using early analogue synths, sequencers and drum machines, 80’s digital synths, modern buchla synths, samplers, vocals, acoustic drums, electronic trigger pads, bass guitar and a vst.

Week 1 saw the digital release of ‘Sands’, ‘Deathray At You’ and ‘Jouster’.

‘Sands’ has a seething bassline and dark underground techno sound.

Picture early dark warehouses where Richie Hawtin and the minus gang partied and DJ’d at to hundreds of people in the ‘90s in Detroit and Canada

With the final Week 4 releases now available, there are more surprises. 

With a clever play on words the track entitled ‘Meatier Shower’ starts out super experimental.

Then a vocal by Magda comes in, with a playful bassline. It sounds like Magda says “Time, time, time…”

Close to the end of the track there is a more melodic slower tempo and some keys with various instruments adjusted in a jazzy improvisational jam band style.

‘Investments’, as the title might suggest, has to do with serious matters.

Complete with dark undertones and music in minor keys, this track has shifting time signatures and delay effects that disorientate the dancefloor and bring it to a chaos point.

“What Are You Doin” uttered in colloquial slang by Marc Houle on this track by the same title, is slamming and perfect for the dancefloor.

With classic and infectious straight techno beats, this track has a strangely self-referential vocal that revolves around a programmed sequence.

As has been demonstrated, Marc Houle has a highly advanced level of control over his machines.

This EP, Sixty-Four, but especially Week 4, is highly recommended as a tool for study in how to manipulate various machines, while still producing exciting dance music.

To support this release there are several excellent videos for the EP produced by designer Jonathan Coe for Minus:

“Sixty-Four” by Marc Houle - Week 1

“Sixty-Four” by Marc Houle - Week 2

“Sixty-Four” by Marc Houle - Week 3

MARC HOULE - SIXTY-FOUR [MINUS064C]

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