4 out of 5

Label: Fonolith

Produced by: Neil Scrivin

Neil Scrivin does his retro glitch duty on Tourist Trap 2014, three live cuts from his debut under this name, Chrome Position.

As Phono, Neil brings together the funkiest of soul / disco beats with occasional flecks of 80s vocals, chopped and screwed, and then prevents it all from being kitsch by dipping the music in modern IDM: skittery, steady beats both broken and eliding; and crisp production that bridges digital to the warmth of its retro inspirations.

The three songs here are the funkiest bunch, though Tape to Tape’s reliance on vocals gets the disco nod, and Ferric Dreams winds us down a tad by keeping comparatively slow and moody pace. The “live” aspect expresses itself as extended cuts; Neil’s music is so dense, looping hardly feels like it’s happening, but after a few joyous repeats, you can admittedly spot where at least opener Magnetic Mantra and Tape to Tape could benefit from being tightened up.