TurnOff, Dec 28, 2007
This release actually has some interesting history behind it, and that's saying a lot for a Drexciyan release considering they are always typically surrounded by extraordinary amounts of secrecy.
Both of these tracks were recorded at least one year before this vinyl was pressed in 1998 for 'Somewhere In Detroit' as the A-side track, hi-tide, appeared on Drexciya's 2xcd release 'The Quest' on Submerge in 1997.
Hi-Tide on this release differs from the version on 'The Quest' in that the 'Somewhere In Detroit' version contains an extra 15 second intro of ambient ocean wave noise that is reused in the track periodically whereas the version on 'The Quest' begins immediately with a drum pattern instead of an ambient intro. Perhaps the 15 second intro was shaved off for 'The Quest' but that issue will never be resolved.
The B-side however has a fascinating history in that it illuminates some of the involvement of other members in Drexciya besides the two most well known. The B-side track, Dr. Blowfins Experiment, was produced by the members of the Detroit techno outfit Ultradyne for the Underground Resistance label but was never released until this record was pressed. Ultradyne were asked in an interview what previous groups they had been involved with and they said among other things that they once produced a track called 'Dr. Blowfins Experiment' for UR.
The similarities between Ultradyne in Drexciya have been noted in the past but the B-side of this record is the only direct proof that Ultradyne and Drexciya produced music together and that they didn't just influence each other's music, but instead they worked hand in hand on at least one track. How many other track did Drexiciya produce for Ultradyne, or Ultradyne for Drexciya, the answer will never be known and is another great Drexciyan mystery.
If you're a collector of Drexciya, Ultradyne, or historical techno this recrd is as essential as it is rare but worth every penny. If you want to hear Hi-Tide and can't break the bank on this record track down a much more affordable 2xcd release of 'The Quest'. As for Dr. Blowfins Experiment, the track appears on DJ Rolando's 'The Aztec Mystic Mix' on UR.
4.7/5 (