Helena Hauff – Actio Reactio

Label: Werkdiscs/Ninja TuneScore: 9/10

The raw mid-80s spirit of Chicago acid house and early techno has startlingly resurfaced in a 25 year old DJ-producer from Hamburg called Helena Hauff, whose Werkdiscs’ debut EP is a ferocious gesture of analogue defiance. While running the Birds And Other Instruments night at Hamburg’s Golden Pudel club, she has quickly built a reputation through sizzling DJ sets performed on vinyl, while recording on analogue gear, usually just one take.

As a result, Helena’s ever-questing sound pulses with the same dark energy which imbued early Trax and UR adventures, the ten-minute title track bubbling and juddering through a hail of acid claps, bass heaves and percussive manoeuvring, only the distinctive 808 cowbell remaining constant.

After the spooky, acid-lashed prowl of ‘Break Force’ and beatless Moroder-movie closer ‘Micro Manifesto’ there should be no doubt left that a fresh new name has arrived to tell electronic dance music where it came from.