Artist: Fitalic
Title: Realistic / Dark Shades
Label: Vapour Recordings
By: Simon Jones | 16 April 2003
Tracklist:

• A: Realistic
• B: Dark Shades

Fitalic "Realistic / Dark Shades"

Robin Fitter and Jeroen Wunderlich first came to the Vapour label in Summer 2002, and since then have gone on to produce singles for labels including 19Box and Konseption. Now they find time to return to Vapour once more, with another two tracks to offer us. Their names.. 'Realistic' and 'Dark Shades'.

Moody sinister beats slowly edge us into 'Realistic' as it gets under way. Low analogue percussion triggers off in the background as the sounds slowly swirl over and over, growing in prominence as a driving bassline punches it's way over the top. A layer of pads and effects is slid into the middle as the track evoles to the next level, the occasion string riff adding a sense of depth and drama to the track, leading into the gnarling break and onwards to a tribal edged percussive outro which slowly loses the appeal of the rest of what is otherwise a superb track.

'Dark Shades' is darker and deeper still, a bubbling b-line rippling as snares drill straight through it. Rattling percussion slowly evolves as eerie sounds and beats drop slowly down but from here things dont really develop that much and it stills lost in it's dark limbo, never to return..

Both tracks have flaws, but Realistic is a half decent track which doesn't get bogged down in that dark ditch that so many tracks do, and just lacks a good ending, whilst Dark Shades doesn't really go anywhere at all, having obviously missed it's train some time ago. It's not a totally bad record, but I recommend a case of try before you buy here..