Having had five years off prior to its release I'd half expected Rework's Werewolf EP last year to be one off, or at least for a couple of years to pass before we heard anything else from our enigmatic trio. And yet here we are, just half a year later, with some new material.
What's more, whilst Werewolf came out on Parisien label Meant this new release, It's Fun You Know, comes on Rework's own label Loveyeah. Loveyeah is set to be a label for like minded artists but to usher it into the world Rework have understandably chosen to put out some of their own material.
The It's Fun You Know EP features three original tracks and opens with the title track. That track treads a line that will be familiar to fans of Rework but it's still noticeably distanced from the analogue aggression of Werewolf, with It's Fun You Know consisting of a hypnotic techno soundscape. Vocal clips are blended into a mechanical, atmospheric mix full of reverb and a tightly looped bass line.
Thrill Me is a little more extroverted, snappy bass, lose drums and high hats whilst Rework's trademark approach sees vocals worked deep into the mix - it's both funky and understated to the point of being aloof.
The last of the original tracks is The Sign, a locked down bass groove that delivers slightly scratchy drum kicks and very little else. Rework's productions are full of cool touches - the sound of those drums perfect, the slight analogue vinyl crackle almost inaudible - yet I'd be the first to admit that it's not exactly accessible, and this is the trio tacking that to extremes.
A little more easy to get into is Jeans Team's version of Werewolf, which closes out the EP. They add a series of hollow drum sounds and strip back the synth groove a bit whilst pushing the vocals up high in the mix. The result retains that Eurotrash cool but gives it a more ambient, open feel. Some ridiculous vocal synths complete the look, creating a track that feels like it would have been as at home in 1986 as now. With slick analogue synths and lots of echo, it's not exactly fucking pretty, but it's pretty fucking cool.
It's Fun You Know is out now on Loveyeah, listen via Spotify below: