Contributing Writer
The fifth release in the label’s archival series also features collaborations with Katy B, Tony Allen and Max Loderbauer, pressed on limited-edition heavyweight vinyl.
Re:versal Records returns with REV005, bringing together four recordings from some of electronic music’s most influential figures. Led by Ricardo Villalobos’ expansive remix of Beck’s ‘Cellphone’s Dead’, the latest release in the series also features Four Tet, Floating Points, Katy B, Jeff Mills, Tony Allen and Max Loderbauer.
Continuing its exploration of the Universal Music Group archive, Re:versal Records draws on an extensive catalogue of rare remixes, overlooked collaborations and electronic music history, returning these recordings to vinyl in limited heavyweight pressings.
Opening the record is Villalobos’ remarkable 14-minute reworking of Beck’s ‘Cellphone’s Dead’. Originally released in 2006, the remix takes the American artist’s distinctive vocals into more abstract territory, building an extended piece of minimal techno around shifting percussion, intricate sound design and the unpredictable arrangements that have defined Villalobos’ work.
On the AA-side, Four Tet and Floating Points join forces with Katy B on ‘Calm Down’, bringing together three artists whose contributions to British electronic music have taken very different paths. The result is a bass-heavy, playful house cut that pairs Katy B’s vocals with the production instincts of Kieran Hebden and Sam Shepherd.
Detroit techno pioneer Jeff Mills follows with ‘Locked And Loaded’, a collaboration with legendary Nigerian drummer Tony Allen. Built around layered live percussion, brooding organ sounds and understated electronic production, the track brings together two musicians whose respective approaches to rhythm have had a lasting influence on contemporary dance music.
Closing the record is ‘Recat’, a collaboration between Ricardo Villalobos and Max Loderbauer. Drawing on acoustic recordings and experimental electronic composition, the track explores a more delicate and spacious side of Villalobos’ output, with intricate textures and subtle rhythmic movement.
Across four tracks, REV005 connects minimal techno, UK bass music, Afrobeat and experimental electronics, reflecting both the depth of the Universal archive and the influence these artists continue to have on electronic music.
Alongside its vinyl releases, Re:versal Records explores the roots and history of electronic music through interviews, archive stories, documentary clips and editorial features, tracing the people and places behind the music.
REV005 is available as a limited-edition heavyweight vinyl pressing via Re:versal Records