If Remco Beekwilder were about 20 years older, he would have been a suitable sidekick for Frankfurt’s PCP posse at 1993’s Mayday, when they staged a real ‘judgement day’ with a fierce live set. I’m not saying that Mayday is a thing about quarter-century later, but memories of the past persist and the need for a serious rumble returns every end of April. Beekwilder’s debut album supplies the right repertoire for this occasion, released on artist’s own label Emerald.
By sound, Dutch producer is commuting in the Frankfurt – Rotterdam axis of early nineties, the opener “Culture Vulture” defining the main theme with chunky breakbeats and recycled samples of MC5’s and The KLF’s yell ‘kick out the jams, motherfucker!’. The album is a bass drum orgy, a darkroom narrative with mentasm stabs and savage synth riffs in “Breakwilder” or “Midnight Marauders”. Along with offshore drilling “Anybody Out There?”, my favourite is “Skeemask” with gangstas being chased by police sirens in a notorious suburb. Euro dance hopefuls “Hold My Hand” and “Universe Of Memories” are bringing back prime time on MTV when it was hosted by VJ Simone and after fireworks of “Primal Symphony”, for a change we get sluggish broken beats in “Tripwire” and atmospheric skydiving in “Flower Warfare” where entrancing vocal support is provided by Nur Jaber.
Beekwilder is a creative heir of PCP’s boss Marc Acardipane and the Dutchman’s output sounds like from lost-and-found tapes of Mainhattan’s hardcore brotherhood. Beekwilder has succeeded in creating an upright bass-dripping work that combines the best elements of old school rave’s harder side.
Buy vinyl from Juno (UK)
Buy vinyl from Decks (DE)
Buy vinyl from Red Eye Records (UK)