CLP - Strictly Confidential EP

DoktorKrank's picture
Posted Thu, 2009-11-19 06:25 by DoktorKrank

RELEASE OF THE MONTH - 9 out of 10***

Artist: CLP
Title: Strictly Confidential
Label: Sugarcane Recordings

1.CLP Designer feat. Rqm (Lazersword Mix)
2.Lando Kal feat Spoek Kites (Dub Mix)
3.CLP I'm So Trill feat. Spoek (Sweat X Vs Fs Green Mix)
4.CLP Superconfidential f. Tunde Olaniran (NicSarnoMix)
5.CLP Superconfidential f. Tunde Olaniran(TopBillinMix
6. CLP Putcha Handz Up f. Rayzaflo (CLP Street Version)
7. CLP Designer feat. Rqm (Lazersword Mix Instrumental)
8. CLP Superconfidential f. Tunde Olaniran (TopBillinMix lnstrumental)
Vinyl only:
9. CLP I’m So Trill feat Tunde Olaniran
10. CLP Superconfidential f. Tunde Olaniran

On November, 23rd, CLP i.e. Chris de Luca of Funkstorung fame and Phon.o will release an amazing "Strictly Confidential" EP which will include selected, revamped drops along with some banging, nasty remixes of their highly acclaimed "Supercontinental" album released on Sugarcane Recordings in 2008. Sugercane has published the music and remixes by e.g. Jahcoozi, Robot Koch, Two Fingers (Amon Tobin and  Doubleclick), Zombie Disco Squad, Ben Mono, Oliver$. All these artists, although strongly rooted in electro, are definitely pushing the boundries of electronic music jumping between 'pure' music styles with an ease of a circus acrobat. CLP follows the same path.  Berlin-based duo started their project in 2006, combining their extensive producer / DJ expertise to make versatile beats inspired by old-school hip hop, dirty synths, crunk,  glitch, electro, ghettotech or even Miami-bass.  As many similar producers on this neo-hip hop / glitch scene, they send out many invitations to cooperation to the talented emcees from around the globe.  As a result they release cheesy pop songs as  easy as hard-hitting crunky ghettotech bangers :) Furthermore, I am a big fan of their mixtapes and live performances. FIRE!
 The collaborators on Strictly Confidential are absolutely stellar, including the turbo crunk champions from West Coast -  Lazer Sword, Finnish electro don - Top Billing, South African-based rapper Spoek (Boysnoize), member of Sweat.X duo,  or an Italian - Nic Sarno, member of the Love Supreme signed to the Italian house imprint ESP (think Crookers, Congorock, MSTRKRFT, Bloody Beetroots). Add them to the emcees who worked with CLP on Supercontiental, i.e. RQM, Tunde Olaniran and Rayzaflo, and you will get quite a nice clique :) Strictly Confidential has been actually mastered by the mighty CROOKERS and Jan Driver. On top of that, original CLP mixes of Superconfidential and I'm so Trill feat. Tunde Olaniran will be released on vinyl only.  
Strictly Confidential starts with a smashing remix of CLP's - Designer feat. Polish-born emcee RQM (ziomboy!) by Lazer Sword. RQM's cool vocal fits perfectly the crunky-solid synths and cut-up beats delivered by Lando Kal and Low Limit in a typical lazer bass fashion. Cold wave of the future indeed - robots would love to dance to such music. For a time being, this one will be heavily rinsed by human DJ's across the Earth, guaranteed! 
But the absolute highlight of the entire release awaits next. Lando Kal's dubbed out version of Spoek's "Kites" is the best crunky electro I've heard this year. Killing bassline and bwampy, crispy synths are cutting through the listener with the force of an ultra precise lazer, while Spoek's rapping brings the entire tune to yet another level. Bounce bounce and more bounce! A few weeks ago I had an enormous pleasure to experience the effect of this track on the crowd, when Lazer Sword dropped it during their gig in Poland. I needn't say that the people on the dancefloor went mental. I can hardly wait for the full-lenght release by Lazer Sword in 2010.
Spoek does equally fantastic job in Sweat X Vs Fs Green Mix of I'm so Trill. This track will drill holes in your mind with its slowed-down and burning heavy bass and ultra-distorted vocals. Mesmerizing electro dubstep, great for testing the power of subwoofers in your Sound System. My car starts vibrating like crazy with volume pumped up to juast half a scale.
Nic Sarno's remix of Superconfidential is a lighter, pumping house tune made straight to the dancefloor. Actually not my cup of tea, but still quite a nice roller. Top Billin refixes the title track in a much better way. Classic, old-school electro (with a bit cheesy '80s touch), fantastic, boosted vocals by Tunde Olaniran and sheer positive energy of this tune will carry you away immediately. A sure winner on many dancefloors and DJ mixes. Saying that I still think that the original mix of Superconfidential is the best, and Tunde Olaniran vocal is absolutely infectious. "This is original audio ..." obsessed me for 2 weeks, not only when taking a shower. Fortunately, this track will be released now on vinyl. Street version of CLP's Putcha Handz Up f. Rayzaflo reminds me a bit of Rye Rye tracks with its raw and angry vocals of a 17-year old girl from Mississippi and dirty electro synths plus solid beats base. Another proper tunage on this release.  
The package also includes instrumentals of Lazer Sword and Top Billing remixes, but in this particular case I definitely prefer the tracks with vocals. 
In general, Strictly Confidential is definitely one of the best releases I heard this Autumn. Easily 9 out of 10****. Essential purchase. Of course, I would prefer producers dropping more original material than the recycled goods, but the remixers featured in this package did such a great job that I have nothing to complain and besides this is the nature of the game in the current remix culture.
Listen to a few tunes from this release on Chris de Luca's soundcloud:

CLP "Strictly Confidential" by chrisdeluca

Bonus: grab a free remix: CLP - Superconfidential (Spenza remix).


Preview and buy Strictly Confidential on junodownload
If you are interested in a vinyl version - check juno (tentative release date 30 Nov)