Hed Kandi Twisted Disco

Hed Kandi presents the return of its sleazier sister, Twisted Disco, on April 17. A darker shade of Kandi, Twisted Disco features galvanised, steroid-pumped versions of Kandi favourites (such as Joey Negro's Make A Move On Me, Van Helden's My My My and Mylo's Muscle Car) alongside brand new tracks, all consisting of big, growling basslines, electronic riffs and rubbery bleeps.

When Lex Luthor corrupts Superman with Kryptonite, his costume loses its brightness and he starts doing bad things! Twisted disco is Kandi gone to the dark side. Like Anakin Skywalker's transformation to Darth Vader, the tracks are given body armour and a light sabre - fortified for their role in evil dancefloor destruction! CD1 moves from said Mylo track to the stomping bass and moody-yet-camp hypnosis of Tiga's You Gonna Want Me, featuring Jake Shears of Scissor Sisters fame on vocals. The Squint mix of Wez Clarke's 'What Can I Do?'continues the cool nonchalant vocal theme alongside a catchy b-line and acidic synths. House legends Cajmere and Dajae team up again on Say U Will. An abstract ragged bass line, old school beats and wonky noises are juxtaposed with the soulful, glossy sass of the vocals making for a pairing that shouldn't work but really does. Following the success of Jose Gonzalez's sublime reworking of The Knife's Heartbeats, CD1 closes with Rez The Dog's very different, jerky, robotic remix which still maintains the song's melancholy beauty.

Rex The Dog takes a walk from CD1 to CD2, fetching 'Prototype', an electro-pop, Kraftwerk-esque number, followed by Akabu's moody 'Phuture Bound', whose jagged strings and mind-bending keys combine the twisted and more traditional NY house sounds. Chris Lake's 'Changes' also preserves elements of lighter house where its emotive piano line, melody and popping bongos combine with high octane contemporary sounds. Current favourite Trentmoller's subtle, mix of Yoshimoto builds, holds back and builds with its rigid rhythm, bubbling electronic flourishes and synth waves to create a first class piece of electronic dance music. Like Murk on too many e-numbers, Mark Knight's massive 'Insatiable' literally roars with power. These levels hold out till the end with Rob Wilder and Wes Clarke's mix of Shiny Grey and Tiga's throbbing trance-tastic, building remix of Tribulations by LCD Soundsystem. All tracks featured manage to be deep and sophisticated without ever being monotonous or po-faced, making for an enjoyable insight into another dimension of the Hed Kandi world.