- More than 20 years since they first linked up, Miss Kittin & The Hacker still have it.
- It's been 20 years since Miss Kittin and her frequent collaborator The Hacker emerged with their debut single, 1982. This adds an extra tinge of nostalgia to this second instalment of the pair's Lost Tracks series for Dark Entries. The four previously unreleased demos it collects were recorded between 1997 and 1999, a few years before their first album arrived as electroclash was experiencing a peak. Kittin characterizes these tracks as the work of artists who were "...naïve, innocent, adventurous, and [not expecting] anything in return." But that modesty hides how fully realized Miss Kittin & the Hacker's aesthetic was before they came to greater prominence.
The first instalment of Lost Tracks showcased the duo's chilly beginnings from the same time period. The tracks on Vol. 2 are more robust. "Upstart" is a solid instrumental workout with tick-tock synths and a considerable rhythmic backend, while "The Building" takes the shape of a glassy-eyed roller with punchy drums breaking through in its middle third. Where the brief and tangy "Snuff Movies" is more a fascinating curio than a full-fledged work, Vol. 2's crown jewel is the electro-pop gem "Love On 26," featuring wistful vocals from Kittin atop night-drive synths that would sound at home on Italians Do It Better. The song functions as a retroactive window into Miss Kittin & the Hacker's future releases, and another reason for fans of their work to dig into their archives.
TracklistA1 Upstart
A2 Love On 26
B1 Snuff Movies
B2 The Building