Artist: Dextro
Title: Do You Need Help
Label: Border Community
By: Simon Jones | 21 September 2004
Tracklist:

• A1: Original Version
• A2: Holden Noise Tool
• B1: The MFA Help Help Mix
• B2: Holden Acoustic Tool

Dextro "Do You Need Help"

Dextro is the production alias of young Scottish producer Ewan Mackenzie. Already known around Glasgow for his live sets, in addition to his role as a drummer in Glaswegian post rock band Snowblood, Ewan has already graced the clubs of London, and it's in this very city that him and James Holden first met as in true guy next door fashion they just happened to share a musical edge and diversity that makes Border Community the ideal home for his latest track 'Do You Need Help'.

Ewan's 'Original Version' is a classy downtempo excursion, it's live sounds and guitar injecting a cool heady vibe into this shuffling broken beat masterpiece. Everything from the subtle groove through to the melodies and sounds of this laid back electronic house track oozes quality, and whilst some might say it borrows slightly from the likes of Air, the programming and arrangement is simply inspirational, and you just have to listen and appreciate the sheer beauty of this latest offering from Border Community's newest signing.

Meanwhile, those lovable rascals 'The MFA' take the original and rework it for the dancefloor. The result is a cool futuristic house mix that sticks closely to the original's blueprint, but the inclusion of a big sub-bassline and a whole range of effects and subtle key changes washing over the beautiful original and warping and twisting it into a killer club mix, and those cheeky buggers have even managed to pay their own unique homage to The Prodigy at the same time. And that's not all, as the king of glitch himself James Holden provides two DJ tools with the usual ambience, effects and noise we've come to expect with each release on his label, so the more experimental minded amongst you will no doubt be grinning with glee once again.

With an EP on cool London label Jumblefunk already capturing the attention of Ulrich Schnauss amongst others, it seems that young Ewan is more than capable of forging his own path and needs no help, and this latest release from Border Community will ensure that he gets the recognition his talent so rightly deserves.