GiGi FM’s new EP bears a telling title: It immediately reveals what she is all about. Over the past few years, the techno DJ has made a name for herself with a sound that is both functional and explores cosmic connections. In other words: GiGi FM doesn’t abandon the dancefloor, but she doesn’t surrender to it completely either. Her gaze wanders readily towards the stars and astrology, from which she draws the power she transmits to ravers.
The opener, »Calibration«, is a digital stomper featuring an introductory speech and repeated breaths of the artist. Breathing holds time and calibrates space — that’s the solipsistic message. Apart from the vocals, there is no esoteric banging, just demanding, bleeping techno that could have been created at the start of the decade. As the following »Mercury« makes clear, GiGi FM generally emphasises craftsmanship and techno traditions that have long since proven themselves in the big room. The track’s seriousness may border on silliness, but it could easily fill a cathedral with party-goers. The title track, »Magnetite«, starts with a low frequency and then develops a brisk acid drive, just as Maceo Plex did on »Solar Detroit« ten years ago. This is praise, not criticism: for moving away from the analogue fetish, for the refreshing return to efficient sound rolling, and for the cleverly placed claps that loosen things up wherever possible.
Virgo Space Acid
