Alex Kassian revisits Manuel Gottsching’s masterpiece, E2 E4. Putting his own, contemporary spin on the seminal, electronic music landmark. While it’s a piece that’s frequently been versioned, Alex is still able to fashion something fresh and unique. Even in the glimpsed opening bars of his gated fade-in an undeniable Kassian-esque euphoria is palpable. Woven into the synthetic flickering, mimicking organic rippling. The shots of cymbals shimmering like comet tails, shooting stars. Raising a rich, lush, tropical rainforest vibe, loon birds singing in its distance, while original’s familiar melody messes with your memory. Flashing you back to being loved-up. High. Eddie “Secret Circuit” Ruscha’s guitar starts by sending out stretched arcs, then teases with tiny dancing patterns, before getting bolder and bluesier. Beats and bass are both here, but the groove is more of a muted, mellow, dancefloor massage. A Sueno Latino reprise, for sunset and sunrise.

However, hang on to your hats ’cos that’s just the half of it. On the flip the mighty Mad Professor gets his mitts on the mix. Turning in two terrific takes via Ariwa Sounds’ 48-channel console. The second is slightly more stripped back, and a bit more techno toned. Both are incredibly warm, and wrap themselves around you. My money, though, is on the first. Initially toying with details, like creating cascades of delayed percussion, filtering / phasing the bass, boosting the kick, and a sense of space, he then gets increasingly enthusiastic with the effects and the echo. At one point everything, except Eddie, falls away, and those crazy congas get flipped inside out. Tape spools spin, and it’s definitely something deep listeners will get lost in. Constantly changing, its flex in flux, it sounds like a live improvisation, and it also sounds like the old sonic scientist was having fun. Epic on headphones, I bet it booms on a decent system.

Alex Kassian and Mad Professor’s takes on E2 E4 can be ordered directly from Test Pressing.