Ricardo Villalobos – N-DRA

Review: Rawax continues to explore the rich, deep and undeniably wonky back catalogue of Chilean minimal master Ricardo Villalobos. This time round, they've opted to reissue something truly historic: the Berlin-based wonk-king's in-demand 1996 debut, the 'N-Dra' EP. The A-side title track is far more forthright than his later productions, but still runs to nearly 13 minutes and combines restless techno kick-drums with flashes of South American percussion, oddball vocal samples, and plenty of lost-in-the-groove effects trickery - as well as a deliciously dirty, stabbing bassline. He doffs a cap to Playhouse - a label he'd later release on - via the late-night throb-and-jack of 'Say That You Love Me', which features great interplay between his dirty electronic bassline and looped classic house vocal snippets, while 'Trockenteile' is pleasingly scuzzy, dark and wayward.