Expanding a sound cultivated over the years in a series of releases for pivotal labels such as Spectral, Get Physical, Supplement Facts, and Wolf & Lamb, Lee Curtiss’ new release, ‘Lunatic Fringe’, delivers up three possible dance floor monsters that should push the limits of the best sound systems the world over. A recent fixture of Lee’s live and DJ sets at DC-10 and other venues, the EP’s A-side is the sought after ‘Body Twitch’.
It’s rife with not-so-veiled sexual innuendo, at one point a sinister, reverb-drenched voice brags “I can make your body twitch/I’ll be working like we’re making kids.” Combined with Curtiss’ signature skulking basslines, ‘Body Twitch’ does its fair share of reveling in “streets and sewers...banality and booze.” Eschewing the easy pleasures of the obvious melodic line, Curtiss builds elements of melody into every dimension of the track’s atmosphere, layer, and texture. At the same time, chugging percussion and the carefully modulated growl of vintage synths create a musical depth of field. The EP’s B-side features two tracks, ‘Freaks’ and ‘Haters’, both of which revisit themes from some of Curtiss’ earlier work. ‘Freaks’ begins with thick synth chords and a slowed down, lackadaisical shuffle reminiscent of his breakout hit ‘Sexy Dancer’. The EP’s final track ‘Haters’ evokes the acid-leanings of Chicago house and seamlessly integrates Curtiss’ dance floor sensibility with his earlier roots in techno-psychedelia. Underpinning a classic hip-hop taunt (“all the haters in the house/if you see ‘em point ‘em out”) is the ever-morphing swirl of a vintage Jupiter-8. It’s out on Visionquest on September 10th.
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