Tiny Reminders

A slight return to experimental electro after the downtempo breakbeat of their EP work during 1999, the second Two Lone Swordsmen full-length for Warp also explores the minimalist side of techno and harks back to the early-'80s synth-funk Andrew Weatherall championed on his Nine O'Clock Drop mix disc for Nuphonic. Except for a few tracks of free-form ambient wallpaper, Tiny Reminders is pretty hard hitting, at least for Two Lone Swordsmen. The beats are less brittle, and though the catalog of crazed effects is still in full force, they're carried along by the forceful drum programming instead of acting on their own. "Neuflex" begins with a skeletal breakbeat rhythm track, a near-classic pattern in electro circles, though the patented 2LS formula soon warps the production with a stunted bassline and precise, high-pitched acid effects. (Variations on that same bassline reappear throughout the album, with excellent results.) With haunting synth and a swift, precise drum program bedrocking harsh German vocals, "You Are..." will also sound familiar to electro fans, though as usual Weatherall and Tenniswood's extreme care with their productions makes for a fresh look at familiar sound. Tiny Reminders is far too messed-with for most dancefloors, but another intriguing listen from one of techno's best experimentalists. ~ John Bush|