Really, Aardvarck should need little introduction. While some of the artists featured on Voyage Direct are just beginning their musical journeys, Mike Kivits has been at the forefront of the Dutch scene since the tail end of the 1980s. In that time, Kivits’ output has remained thrillingly eclectic. Once a member of acclaimed Amsterdam beat-­-makers Rednose Distrikt, Kivit’s productions have variously touched on Detroit techno, ambient, jazz, broken beat, minimal, dubstep, IDM, dub, drum and bass, beatbox electro and, in his early days, tribal house. His records have appeared on Delsin, Rush Hour, Kindred Spirits, Eat Concrete, Skudge and, of course, his own Music For Speakers imprint. And that’s just page one of his sprawling discography. Throughout the 21 years he’s been putting out wax, Kivits has remained something of an enigma – a producer who seems to delight in confounding expectations while delivering music that inspires, entertains and confuses in equal measures. He is, then, something of a legend. It’s no wonder that Tom Trago wanted to release some of his music on Voyage Direct. For his ‘VD’ debut, Kivits has decided to return to the throbbing, analogue techno sound he so successfully explored on the Plus Det 12” for Skudge Presents… earlier this year. Think surging rhythms, vintage synthesizers, alien electronics and the distinctive shuffle of original analogue drum machines. With A-­-side “Thankxxx Joch”, he goes in hard from the off, launching a rolling, Detroit-­-influenced techno onslaught with the kind of sharp, in-­-your-­-face riffs that stir memories of sweaty, early ‘90s warehouse parties in far-­-flung Belgian outposts. Yet for all the boldness of the intro, there’s a lightness of touch to Kivits’ production, which makes great use of shuffling beats, tumbling melodies and hypnotic Motor City chords. Flipside “Hump”, built around the kind of voodoo rhythms with which he began his career, is deliciously dense and rhythmically intense. While the sci-­-fi synthesizers, fizzing electronics and bubbling melodies tempt you to gaze skywards, the beats – a combination of thunderous drum machine kicks, dusty snares and African-­-influenced hand percussion – keep you grounded. Why peek towards the heavens when you can get lost in the groove?

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