BLKA - Black Angus Records - Archive

Halfway between the ancient Umbrian towns of Foligno and Trevi stands Serendipity, one of Italy's most respected underground clubs. Local veteran Marco Socci, AKA DJ Soch, is a resident there, and late last year he set up Black Angus Records, a platform for the kind of deep, US-influenced house and techno he plays in his sets. The label's eye-catching debut, Kick, Tom & Hi-Hat Vol. 1, arrives courtesy of Socci himself.


As the EP's title suggests, Socci's two original productions take a bare bones approach to club music. Opening with a sample from the 1979 cult classic film The Warriors, "Coney Island" gets things off to a rollicking start. Socci crafts a wicked, surging house record from karate-style claps, snappy keys and a snarling groove. The combination of fast-paced and feel-good makes it an especially powerful weapon. For the remix, The Analogue Cops cast a shadow over the original's sparky template and throw in some high-pitched synths that give it a grainier techno edge. "Funky Dry" is the simplest of the three, strapping hard-hitting percussion to looming pads and a faint metronomic synth line. Again, it's a great example of functional club music at its most devastating.