4 out of 5

Label: Acid Avengers

Produced by: ?

I mean, the label has chosen their path forward, calling themselves Acid Avengers and arting things with bright colors and smiley faces, but what’s been fun is seeing how each of the artists stand up to the plate. D’Arcangelo are not not acid, of course, but they go hard on their part of this EP, with Karsten Pflum iterating on their clubby acid excitingly as well – that is, the challenge of appearing on this very targeted label has been met, and exceeded.

D’Arcangelo have ping-ponged through ambience and IDM and, yes, acid, throughout their career, but I’d generally allot it a slightly “colder” edge; not so much here – this stuff is bouncy as heck, and ropes in a glitchy IDM vibe to really cast the duo as a fresh face (befitting those smiley faces, I suppose). That said, you can kind of get lost in that: I’m not sure I’d be able to identify this as D’Arcangelo at points.

Pflum’s tracks are heavily BPM based and geared more towards repetition, but they’re both bangers, incorporating a kind of analog base level that keeps the tracks feeling raw. Again, if there’s an exception, it’s that that rawness cuts both ways: Hornfish Acid gets a little ahead of itself with its beats, to the extent of feeling off-timed.

Both of these “criticisms” are hardly that, though: D’Arc’s tracks are insanely good, and if I’m saying they lose some identity, well, I’ve also said they were stepping up to the task of being Acid Avengers, so there ya go. And the stumbling beat of Pflum’s track can also be charming, just maybe makes you trip up a bit as you’re on the dancefloor.