Rework

Werewolf EP (Magda Remix) Rework

Rework, the production outfit of Daniel Varga, Michael Kuebler and Sascha Hedgehog, earned their dance music stripes around the turn of the millennium with a series of strong releases, most notably on Frankfurt-based techno institution Playhouse. Describing their musical aesthetic as "cabaret-independent-house", the act forged a distinct sound that combines icy minimal structures with catchy euro-girl vocals, Anglo-French funk antics and a dash of dancefloor melancholy. This summer, Rework return to the fray with a two-sided affair for Paris-based Meant Records that shows they have not lost the electric energy that characterised their earlier work. Lead single "Werewolf" evidences that that made early Rework productions shine still abounds in their newer material: with ticking Drum machines, subtle filter work and no dearth of low-end éclat, it is clear that the Rework sound is still in full vigor. But, far from Being a simple rehash, the track ventures into unexplored sonic territories, with shimmering synthetic high-end, buzzing and Overdriven sawtooth bass and mantra-like vocal repetitions all contributing to an indelible party vibe. B-side "Touch Yourself" also hearkens back to the Rework sound of old while, moving in exciting new directions. Shuffling hi-hats Jitter along, acid-tinged bass gurgles and spits while aqueous digital washes moil in the sonic periphery, producing an atmospheric Narcosis that looms over the track like an overdense cloud. Meanwhile, female vocal imperatives to perform the titular act inject a Dose of playful hedonism. Items & Things's Magda takes on remix duties of "Werewolf", and much like a feat of lycanthropy transforms the gentlemanly pulse of the original into an off-kilter stomp. With a soundscape populated by dissonant synth bursts, fluttering toms and reverb-laden hats and snares, the track reveals its tension and dynamism in its subtleties, and indeed the whole thing seems a knob-flick away fro