- It's not surprising that "Chichi Devils" is a single-track release. From its pinched timbres to its rhythmic instability, the track is so distinct—so odd, really—that it doesn't need a B-side. Right from the start, it's clear that we're on unusual terrain, even for Chateau Flight, who are hardly known for a conservative approach to house music. The kick drum begins as a flat, glassy smack with all the low-end shaved off, leaving a bumbling, sawtooth bassline to carry all the weight; the effect is remarkable, especially compared to the bass overload so endemic to tech house these days.
Here, the midrange breathing room accentuates all manner of nuance and almost accidental-seeming sound, like muted cowbells and dripping faucets. Eventually, as the track bulks up, it turns into a powerful little number, with nervous, technoid bass riffs trading off with percussive fills, and a high-up string ostinato pulling taut the tension throughout. But as heavy as it gets, its impact is less a matter of force than suggestion, with reverberant tympani rolling out like spotlit whitecaps, empty space's ebb checking the low end's flow. If everything were perfectly quantized, this would be a different track entirely, an exercise in clever sound design. But the unraveling grooves give "Chichi Devils" an edge-of-your-seat quality, hellbent and vivacious, that's all too rare these days.
Tracklist A Chichi Devils