- Frank, or Frank the Tank as she is sometimes credited, is responsible for much of the artwork on Wagon Repair's 12-inches. Her colorful and gritty paintings of recognizable forms mixed with abstract shapes often evokes Basquiat. Frank's art lends itself well to Wagon Repair's analog aesthetic, but perhaps even better to The Mole's cut-up technoid soul jams.
Instead of using live gear to accomplish his ends, The Mole works much in the same way as Moodymann or Trus'me, cutting up samples and then attaching a groove to glide them along their way. The human remains, much like Frank's brief nods towards human-esque shapes, but the form is alien—and surrounded by accidental detritus.
Baby, You're the One, The Mole's third release on the label, continues his technique and sets the stage for his forthcoming As High As the Sky full-length. 'Baby You're the One' rolls out a contagious loop, gradually adding heavier bass and the sample which contains the first word of the title and synth stabs to die for. More than thirteen minutes later, The Mole hasn't done much with these elements, but he also doesn't have to. By modulating each throughout, there's little downtime; the moment that you think it's a bit long is the moment it ends.
'Crackbeat' starts in the same manner with a beat that stumbles a bit as it loops. The Mole, however, soon reveals a synth line that lazes its way over top and holds things together. More laidback than the A-side, the track doesn't quite succeed in calming things down. The bustling rhythm doesn't leave enough room for the melody to really take off, while the groaning synth doesn't allow the rhythm to do much aside from bide its time. It's an unresolved tension, but one that doesn't necessarily work. Once you've heard the A-side on this one, though, there won't be much reason to flip it over anyway.
TracklistA Baby, You're The One
B Crackbeat