plastic sleeves

Messages From Machines

Arriving on ace smoky grey vinyl pressed at NSC in Detroit, Plastic Sleeves offer six tracks of Detroit electro of the highest order. Melodies are the name of the game on 'Channel One', be it in the 303 lines that envelope the 12", or the smoky strings that are surely bred by the Motor City's fumes. Dark and spooky with subliminal vocal samples. 'Message' kicks off with a synthline out of the early days, all uplifting and high pitched, then the (almost obligatory) spooky strings kick in and the track mood becomes evident, it's awesome! The real feel of Detroit. Lastly on the a-side is 'Defragment', more uptempo and definitely a dancefloor mover, a squeaky, squelchy bass line carries the beats and brings up memories of Mad Mike (UR), then the percussion hits and it's back to classic electro. The flip has another three tracks and 'Cybernetic Properties' takes the mantle for Detroit record of the month, all the magic ingredients are there especially the noises and production, this 12' really sounds like somebody more well known than Plastic Sleeves, it's so well done. 'Going Deep' is apt for a track such as this, it does what it says on the label, it goes deep. Not a kick drum in sight, but arpeggiators everywhere, melodies and strings intertwine with a subbass movement that really works. As for the last track, im not gonna tell you anything, except its as good as the rest I have described, if not the most true to Detroit out of the lot. Get yer skates on.