Following her contribution to this "Gudu & Friends Vol. 1" compilation, Lady Blacktronika steps out with a full EP for Peggy Gou’s Gudu label.
Whether operating as Lady Blacktronika or her Femanyst alias, Akua Grant has built a deserved reputation as one of house and techno’s most daring and unique artists - one that dates back 25 years now, when she first debuted as a vocalist.
'House and techno' can be a cliched catch-all term, but in Grant’s case, she really has explored the extremes of both sides. Her early Lady Blacktronika work, when she earned the nickname The First Lady of Beatdown, saw her produce and narrate a style of deep house that was both sensitive and transgressive, while as Femanyst, she explores some of techno’s darkest corners, all distorted kicks and serrated edges.
Her EP for Gudu kicks off with some serious intent: "Baby I Got It" chops its vocals rough and raw, pairing them with marching drums and the sort of idiosyncratic synth-work that feels like a Blacktronika signature at this point. "Sing the Blues" and "Hold My Hand" take things smoother, but without ever deferring to type - as ever with Grant’s music, she works with such sleight of hand that it’s easy to skip back three minutes previous and wonder how the hell we got here. Her tracks are just that hypnotic and hallucinatory.
Closing the EP, Octo Octa provides a remix of "Hold My Hand" that unfolds over a long arrangement, taking us out with crushed percs and held pads over some undeniable drum work.
Whether operating as Lady Blacktronika or her Femanyst alias, Akua Grant has built a deserved reputation as one of house and techno’s most daring and unique artists - one that dates back 25 years now, when she first debuted as a vocalist.
'House and techno' can be a cliched catch-all term, but in Grant’s case, she really has explored the extremes of both sides. Her early Lady Blacktronika work, when she earned the nickname The First Lady of Beatdown, saw her produce and narrate a style of deep house that was both sensitive and transgressive, while as Femanyst, she explores some of techno’s darkest corners, all distorted kicks and serrated edges.
Her EP for Gudu kicks off with some serious intent: "Baby I Got It" chops its vocals rough and raw, pairing them with marching drums and the sort of idiosyncratic synth-work that feels like a Blacktronika signature at this point. "Sing the Blues" and "Hold My Hand" take things smoother, but without ever deferring to type - as ever with Grant’s music, she works with such sleight of hand that it’s easy to skip back three minutes previous and wonder how the hell we got here. Her tracks are just that hypnotic and hallucinatory.
Closing the EP, Octo Octa provides a remix of "Hold My Hand" that unfolds over a long arrangement, taking us out with crushed percs and held pads over some undeniable drum work.
TRACK LISTING
A1. Baby I Got It
A2. Hold My Hand (Octo Octa's Sapphic Trails In Bloom Mix)
B1. Sing The Blues
B2. Hold My Hand