- There's something inherently satisfying about the drum breaks in "Hackney Parrot." It could be how crisp they sound, it could be the long gone ideals of rave they conjure up, or it could just be that they sound so goddamn heavy. The obnoxious Kathy Brown sample and the fiery subwoofer lashings in the first drop are all dialed up to 11, and the sheer defiance of it all is delicious. And just like old hardcore, it's tied in with the side of classic Chicago house that too often goes ignored: its adrenaline rush.
"Helter Skelter" doesn't have the same hooky attack, but moves with a similar strut. Its rusty creak has more in common with vintage hip-hop, at least until the reverse hoover synths hit, reminding us of Tessela's continued worship of his rave forebears. And just like the era he evokes, the main attraction to this music is that it simply doesn't give a shit. In a time when heavy dance music is out of fashion unless it's packed into a straight techno beat, Hackney Parrot is like a meteor strike.
Tracklist A Hackney Parrot
B Helter Skelter