Chris Daly’s crime alias is Eel O’Brian
Quick history review–before the current rise of EDM, electronic music, in its various forms, tended to lurk around the fringes and not on the radio. The parties were better, but that’s probably nostalgia talking as much as anything else. Partially remembered memories aside, in the early ’90s, Richie Hawtin operated under the moniker Plastikman and was considered one of the finest, minimalist techno DJs in the land.
Hawtin largely retired his Plastikman alter ego in 2003, but recently was invited to spin at the New York City Guggenheim’s 2013 International Gala in November of 2013, which apparently caused a Michael Corleone reaction that pulled him back into the game. The performance morphed into a live album, “EX,” which features seven new tracks that have “rave” written in “ecstasy” written all over them (it didn’t become “Molly” for a couple of decades, kids).
Days after the album dropped last month, Hawtin repeated the show at the Sonar Festival in Barcelona. From that second performance, he’s decided to share this live rendition of “EXhale,” a return to form for the groundbreaking pioneer. The track builds slowly, making the most out of sparse synths and drum machines to achieve the perfect level of ghostly funkification. Get out your glow sticks and bust out your pacifiers: it’s about to get dark and spooky up in here.
