Originally born in Colombia and now based in Barcelona, electronic producer Victor Lenis first started releasing tracks under the alias Cute Heels in 2007, with a series of early download-only releases leading up to the release of his debut album ‘Spiritual’ on Dark Entries in 2014. This latest 12” EP ‘Third Skin’ sees Dark Entries taking a break from the vintage reissues to offer up two new Cute Heels tracks alongside two impressive remixes. On the A-side, lead track ‘Third Skin’ manages to join the dots between Chicago house and European electro body music, fusing a dark sequenced bassline with skipping house hi-hats while sending steelplated snare crashes flying all over the place through delay, in a sinister throbbing offering that calls to mind ‘Twitch’-era Ministry and Front 242 more than anything else.
By contrast, ‘Lipstick Information’ gets more tech-y and subliminal, sending Doppler effect synths trailing against a burbling arpeggiated bassline and pressurised assembly-line rhythms, while jittery synth textures add a hint of colour to the otherwise monochromatic atmospheres. On the flipside, Berlin-based techno producer Steffi places the emphasis upon crisp tech-house elements with her remix of ‘Third Skin’, sending a filtered synth arpeggio juddering against repetitive alert-style bleeps and stomping 4/4 kick drums as minor key synth pads add a sense of chilly drama. Lastly, The Hacker’s reworking of the same track drags things straight back into dark-hearted EBM territory that manages to squeeze in the odd electro-breakers handclap shuffle amongst the ominous creeping bassline and writhing robotic rhythms, in what’s easily the most sinister offering here, machine squeals and all. Darkness-fuelled techno stylings aimed at the classic EBM heads.
