Troy Pierce is back as promised with an exceptional new EP on the Items & Things label he runs with Magda and Marc Houle. Voodoovoodoo is a four track EP with a remix by Dead Seal. And two more coming soon on digital only, by Les Freres Royales and Danny Benedettini, ‘I Need a Guide’ is a tense analogue workout full of atmosphere. There are tiny little details if you listen close enough, but also bold beats and basslines which mark out hybrid house and techno rhythms. The track twists and turns in every direction, with chattery claps, skewed synths and rich bells: dark but alluring stuff. ‘Next Exit Lost Lake’ meanwhile is a little more eerie and gaunt to start with. Raw percussive sounds are paired with moody synths initially, but then a bouncing beat asserts itself and the atmosphere grows ever more frantic and haunting. Continuing the highly evocative approach to sound design, ‘Slap in The Space’ is like another unhinged sci-fi disco off in the deepest darkest pockets of the cosmos. Taught bass notes, ticking, panning FX and crisp hi-hats all come together to make for a mutant funk that’s highly infectious. For his part, San Francisco newcomer Dead Seal makes ‘Next Exit Lost Lake’ into a sexy panty dropping remix which features all his own alluring vocals - it’s still grimy and ghoulish, but the sultry bassline really draws you in, as do the snake charmer style synths which weave about in the background. Coming soon on digital only - charismatic micro-detailed remix of ‘I Need A Guide’ from Les Freres Royales as well as Danny Benedettini’s stripped-down, raw-funk interpretation of ‘Slap in the Space.’ Voodoovoodoo EP needs to be heard: it’s a release which will confound as much as dumfound, and proves both Troy and Items & Things are heading in fresh new directions all on their very own…. File under: techno, disco-tek