REM 002 - 'The Message / Anymore'

Detroit's Gr3yman, (Michael Madill of NPFC/19.5 Collective fame) along with pseudonymous vocalist Valerye Boybender, produced this long overdue 12" with two original vocal techno tracks and a remix apiece from Not Robo Boy (Himawari) and Kero (Shitkatapult, B.Pitch Control).

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"Both Gr3yman and his musical partner Valerye Boybender prove to be articulate, intelligent and swank ambassadors of the Motor City indeed on their debut Rematter/Low Res 12", The Message/Anymore... With a subtle nod to the head in the direction of Kevin Saunderson and Paris Grey, "The Message" throbs deliberately forward, occasionally crossing bridges of pastoral synth-pad wash and calculated rhythmic left-curves... On "Anymore," Valerye Boybender's sweet vocals undergo meticulous electronic sculpting in this steadily developing nod to classic/classy techno-house... Focusing on vocals, haunting pads and serious melodic development, Not Robo Boy's mix rises from a crystal wash of shimmering synth and disperses into a heady and vaporous groove before Mr. Ichikawa fully unleashes one of his signature, orchestral-drum-and-bass outfreakages -- leaving only charred bits of micro-processor in his wake... Re-mixer Kero tosses up a gleefully minimalist version. Incessant to the last, this take on the tune, driven by a relentless bass-drum thump joined by circular polyrhythmic elements, twittering synth chirps and the occasional aggressive and burbling drum-fill, provides the spice needed to keep this bare and stripped mix plenty interesting."

Poster, jacket and label art by eminent designer Mike Young of WeWorkForThem™.


Both Gr3yman (aka Michael Madill of 19.5 Collective), and his musical partner Valerye Boybender, prove to be articulate, intelligent and sexy ambassadors of the Motor City indeed on their debut Rematter/Low Res 12", The Message/Anymore -- a 20-minute, vinyl tourist-guide to Detroit.

"The Message" kicks Side A off with a colossal house beat, set to a perfectly Teutonic tempo and iced with the sultry, breathy vocal stylings of Ms. Boybender. The tune throbs/chugs deliberately forward, occasionally crossing bridges of pastoral synth-pad wash and calculated rhythmic left-curves, before calmly gliding to a stop and returning control of your booty to you.

Next up, (operating under his Not Robo Boy alter-ego) Himawari's Takeshi Ichikawa offers unique insight and singular style on his fantastic remix of "The Message." Focusing on vocals, haunting pads and serious melodic development, Not Robo Boy's mix rises from a crystal wash of shimmering synth and disperses into a heady and vaporous groove before Mr. Ichikawa fully unleashes one of his signature, orchestral-drum-and-bass outfreakages -- leaving only charred bits of micro-processor in his wake.

Side B hauls us back to the dancefloor with another remix of this EP's titular track. Re-mixer Kero decides to focus on"The Message"'s sexiest element (Valerye's seductive rhythmic breathing) in this gleefully minimalist version. Incessant to the last, this take on the tune invites your butt to the dancefloor and nails it there. Relentless bass-drum thump is joined by circular polyrhythmic elements, twittering synth chirps and the occasional aggressive and burbling drum-fill, providing the spice needed to keep this bare and stripped mix plenty interesting.

Finally, Gr3yman displays considerable tech-savvy and impeccable good taste on the EP's no-contest stand-out, "Anymore." Valerye Boybender's sweet vocals undergo meticulous electronic sculpting in this steadily developing nod to classic/classy techno-house. Gritty and warm, this Motor City head-nodder gives a nod (and a wink) to Underworld's anthemic thumper "Two Months Off" while working its aural magic in all the right (read, tastiest!) frequency ranges.

--Scott McClintock, All Music Guide


Detroit's Gr3yman, (Michael Madill of 19.5 Collective fame) teamed up with the pseudonymous Valerye Boybender to produce this 12² with two original tracks and two remixes from Not Robo Boy and Kero.

The A-side, "The Message" is a true stomper, stadium house for the electro generation, with mad phat synths that bump and pump against the booty bass in a mash-up that leaves both the dancefloor and the bedsheets sweaty. Over the track soar Valerye's come-hither vocals, the sexiest thing to happen to music since Serge Gainsbourg.

Not Robo Boy (Himawari's Takeshi Ichikawa) turns in a twisting breakbeat remix that almost completely reconfigures the original track into something both different and just as satisfying. Leaving only basic vocals and some heavy breathing, the track presents Valerye in such a context as to make her the new voice of sex in music. But it¹s about the beats, right? Takeshi takes drum and bass a couple of generations into the future, skipping 2-step, and whatever comes after that; completely unexpected twists and turns in the percussion. He's also taken the melody line and jiggered it to make it more in the avant garde tradition, coming off like Seefeel on DMT.

On the B-side, Kero turns in something similar to Takeshi's take on the track, but this is a little more dancefloor friendly. Almost all of the original vocals and melody are removed, leaving just the smallest example of bass and beats. Upon these fragile elements, Kero creates a new track on top, which thuds along for five minutes with some interesting sample mangling.

Saving the best for last, "Anymore" rounds out the EP, the true highlight, all swirling Liz Fraser vocals and Gary Numan keys. Taking its time to build, this track never peaks but maintains a constantly building groove, getting funkier each second.

--James Mason, All Music Guide