Paranoid London - Paranoid London

Label: Paranoid London

Shadowy London outfit Paranoid London are about as purist as it gets. The duo draw from the rawest period of acid house without ever succumbing to throwback, releasing each of their limited edition EPs on luxurious heavyweight vinyl only. Earlier this year they made one concession to the eager public: re-releasing their best cuts alongside a handful of new tracks on a fierce club-primed LP.

The formula is simple: concise hardware jams whose raucous basslines and taut drum machine rhythms embody the soul of Chicago acid as much as its sound. It features previously released gems like Paris Dub 1, featuring the earworm vocal of OG Paris Brightledge, and the superb Eating Glue, which pairs a menacing bassline and stark percussion with a moody spoken word vocal. And the originals keep up the fine form: Machines Our Coming is surprisingly colourful, a play of laser synth strokes welded to a toughened kick, while Lovin U (Ahh Shit) is a veritable anthem, where PL’s trademark acid menace and raw drums are adorned by emotive, keening synths and a diva vocal on after-hours mode.

The album is as no-nonsense as we’ve come to expect from Paranoid London. It’s physical music, no concessions to the home-listening crowd or intellectual analysis. In fact, listening to this one straight through at home might be a little tiring. But as a collection for DJs looking for a rare fresh take on the sound, or just wanting to channel acid house’s raw soul without having to fork out for twenty-year-old vinyl, it delivers nothing but fire.

8/10