West Coast mainstay maverick Dave Aju launches his anticipated new artist imprint Elbow Grease with this timelessly sublime dance floor trip, dripping with outer-space soul and deep ocean-floor sonics. “X17”, a reference to the hypothetical particle and potential Fifth Force discovery, is equal parts warm and cold, smooth and ruff, as a raw UR-schooled electro rhythm base plows through various known musical barriers, adorned with worldly percussion hits, moving synth textures, subtle jazz motifs and vocal incantations.
As one of the last sonic transmissions put to tape at the mighty yet now-defunct Machine Limited/G-Son Studios of The Beastie Boys’ fame and legacy in Atwater Village LA, it’s fit with a solid spine via a driven TR-909, lush OB-Xa leads and PolySix pads, a serpentine SH-101 arp and tight Linn Drum layers. The generously unfolding “Main Mix” is accompanied by both a potent “Rhythm Dub” stripped back for maximum impact, and an ambient high “Viiibe” version offering a more immersive listen and alternative options for adventurous DJs to work into a mix as they feel. A fine intro to the genre-defiant, focus-on-each-piece Elbow Grease credo.
