Big news from the newsstand. 5 Mag, Chicago's long-running house music magazine, has run a full-page review of Ackermann's I Know What To Do, and it is a lovely read.
Writing for the magazine, Terry Matthew gets straight to what we love about Ackermann: dancefloor tracks built from familiar parts arranged in unfamiliar ways, records that refuse the obvious move and are better for it. He digs into the restraint of the title track, hears shades of Robert Hood's Floorplan in the EP's floating, disconnected riffs, and picks "Bangin'" as his favourite, a raw, Dance Mania-flavoured machine jam.
- A1I know what to do11A · G♭ min145 BPM5:510:005:51
- A2Can't give you up8A · A min141 BPM5:420:005:42
- B1I know what to do (Deetron Remix)Deetron1A · A♭ min136 BPM6:260:006:26
- B2I know what to do (Cinthie Remix)Cinthie1A · A♭ min137 BPM5:290:005:29
- D0Bangin'9A · E min141 BPM4:590:004:59
The review gives real space to the two remixes on the SEVEN release, too. Deetron's version of the title track goes big and physical for the peak-time floor, while Cinthie folds in '90s chords and strings over slamming percussion. Matthew calls both more interpretive and creative than you usually find on an EP like this, which is exactly what we hoped for when we brought them on board.
It ends on a line about the records you love and wear out without ever knowing who made them, kept simply because they speak to you. As Matthew puts it: "This is one of those." (5 Mag)
I Know What To Do is out now on SEVEN, 12" vinyl and digital, with remixes from Deetron and Cinthie. Pick it up on vinyl here, and explore more from Ackermann, Deetron and Cinthie across the shop.
Big thanks to 5 Mag and Terry Matthew for the kind words.