Thomas Barnett - Low Tech Funk

It's the dawn of a new decade, the '20s, and there are a billion different things vying for the attention of your eyes and ears - yet very little truly deserving of that most precious commodity.

Low Tech Funk, the latest collab release from the Visillusion duo, Thomas Barnett and Ecilo, fits the bill as an absolute must see-and-hear for all Techno fans desiring to experience what can happen when the storied past of this genre blends perfectly with the future.

From the Detroit-based Barnett, the mind behind Nude Photo, which is widely-regarded as the first Techno track to set the world aflame, we get the earth-shaking, riveting and trend-setting track, Club Talk, which captures and squeezes you in a python's grasp from first listen.

Barnett, a true Detroit Techno originator, doesn’t loosen that grip with the universe-altering Low Tech Funk title track or street-level Pimpin', two cuts that reek of Motor City authenticity and musicality too often missing from the mundane sequels and rote re-releases coming out of the genre these days.

Ecilo, a Jakarta-based phenom, has been a force of nature since exploding on the scene in 2008 to share his love of Techno music with whoever would listen. It didn’t take long to find an audience - or a kindred musical spirit in Barnett.

On this six-track masterpiece, there is no letup, and it’s difficult to tell where Barnett ends and Ecilo begins. But if we must draw a demarcation line, you’ll definitely find it with the son of Indonesia’s “Ain’t Scared of You (MFs).” No, English ain’t Ecilo’s first language, but he uses Bernie Mac as a stand-in and we all get the message loud and clear.

Ecilo delivers some DJ-friendly fare to thump the floor with in “Stone From Venus,” and you may never think of a night at the club the same way again after hearing his ethereal and thought-provoking “Future Acid Poem.”

As a duo, Barnett and Ecilo are as dynamic as any Techno Twosome we have ever seen or heard. With Low Tech Funk, they go three-on-three, head-to-head, side-by-side and back-to-back - blood brothers in the dance game, both taking no prisoners and playing for keeps.

There are a billion things vying for the attention of your eyes and ears here in 2020. Let me save you some time: Low Tech Funk, like your time, is a precious commodity. That said, it deserves every bit of your undivided attention.

-Michael James