Altered Zones

Electronic duo Soft Metals bring their acid wash to "Click Shaw" by fellow Portland act Reporter. Previously an icy piece of throbbing synth-wave, "Click Shaw" becomes an odyssey through a panoply of dance music-- from the feverish edges of disco through the birth of house and the sprouting of synth-punk, then up to Chicago and across the Atlantic. Thick slabs of synth anchor Alberta's breathless vocals as the arpeggiators warm up in the background and the valiant 4/4 beat struggles to find a foothold amidst the onrushing bassline. All squelchy bliss. (via 20 Jazz Funk Greats)

MP3: Reporter: "Click Shaw (Soft Metals Remix)"

Both bands released debut albums in August: Reporter on Holocene; Soft Metals on Captured Tracks