Electro-Soma II

Of all the artists in the WARP Records Artificial Intelligence generation – which included Aphex Twin, Plaid / The Black Dog, Autechre, Richie Hawtin, Speedy J and more – the duo of Stephen Rutter and Michael Golding were the ones who hewed closest to the inspirations of Detroit techno and electro. Perhaps as a result, they didn’t get as much attention as their peers who veered off into their own ever-more distinctive variants. Their tunes absolutely stood the test of time, though, and then some. The original Electro-Soma album released as part of the Artificial Intelligence series was a collection of their already released tracks under various pseudonyms from the early 90s – and when it was re-released in 2017, they selected 12 more from the same 1991-92 hot streak. Incredibly there’s no dip in quality whatsoever, and nor do the tracks feel dated. Both volumes together bubble, slide, groove and create beautiful sci-fi vistas, achieving something as close to timelessness as dance music can get.