Debut 12" from Germany's Florian Kupfer sees its third pressing! L.I.E.S. has been on quite a run for the past few years and Kupfer's Lifetrax has to be one of the label's key releases. Doused in the label's now trademark hazy noise, the title track sputters to life with gentle Rhodes chords. Its electro beat slowly builds, creating a sense of movement out of the track's sparse arrangement. The second version ups the ante with less Rhodes noodling, giving Kupfer the opportunity to add more sustained builds throughout the track. "Feelin" starts out with even more noise before turning into a moody floor filler. The vocals may be out of place for some and for those there's the "Dubb Micx." While it maintains the same elements, there's something darker and more sinister about it. An eerie Twin Peaks vibe punctured by analog synth stabs and compressed drums. Get this before it sells out and you find yourself waiting around for the fourth pressing.

• music label: Long Island Electrical Systems 2014

reviewed by Joey Coco 04/2014