Locked Groove: Thesseus (Permanent Vacation)
“Thesseus” is markedly different from previous 12”s from producer Tim Van de Meutter, mainly in that it hangs its hat on a spacy refrain that smacks of sci-fi nostalgia rather than the leaner and meaner grooves he sometimes pushes to the fore. Perhaps that explains his shift over to Permanent Vacation for this one, fitting fairly neatly into their typical sensibility. It’s a nice nod to melodic, space-tinged Detroit movers like Carl Craig and Model 500 while still adhering to Locked Groove’s own tightly wound rhythmic sensibility.
Its sweeping chords and blooping patterns give it a vibe that resides somewhere between night drive and intergalactic. It takes its time at just over nine minutes, with plenty to enjoy along the ride. “Meditations in an Emergency” also sidesteps expectations by shifting focus into a lighter broken beat and a tinge of warm electro. It has a distinctly Artificial Intelligence early 90s vibe to my ears, in all the best ways, with a remix that’s a few shades darker from Clockwork. Their take on it pushes it into the present with its lurching bass and filtered grooves, a handsome complement. The title cut is the real star here, though, and it’s nice to hear a different side of Locked Groove.
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