Expansion Union – World Wide Funk [1999; TVT Records, Wax Trax! Records]

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The base mix of the title track opens this single with a quick jump into techno with a jazz gilding, jamming together wandering synth pings with a slick but spartan bass-line, throwing out occasional sampled renderings of the title phrase while upping the beat accompaniment.  Surging under-pumps of mid-range swerve tones build up, drop out, then return at higher pitch and faster concentration, activating the title sample more and more to match, before fading down to a beat and wave exit.

“Playing With Lightning (Scratcher’s Delight mix)” follows, providing a thorough reworking of the original track into pounding bass kicks, replaced bridges, and a transplant of the main scratching passage.  It’s not bad, but outside of the high-pitched bridging ostinato on synth, it’s so different from the original song as to be a bit jarring.  The opening track returns in a remix by Dynamix II to open the B-side, emphasizing the drum machines against an up-and-down synth roll, translating into jittery vocal sample manipulation and pitch-up eruptions, and slipping more completely into straight-on techno, though it retains the off-center touch

Lastly comes “Children of the Earth”, an exclusive track, with a slow-roll bass kick riff complemented by more active (to near-frenzy) high-pitched synth activity, bouncing along on firm beat support until reaching the slide-out finish.  A very strong pack of instrumental electronic work, with a wonderful balance of experimentation and fundamentals.