Mochipet

Disko Donkey

Daly City Records

Originally born in Taipei and now based in Daly City, California
(hence his label’s name), David Yang circulated his first two albums
as Mochipet, the flatly titled CDR and Randbient Works
2002 to anyone who requested a copy via e-mail. In the ensuing
years since his emergence, he’s managed to attract the attention of
some prestigious tastemakers, releasing tracks on Bpitch Control as
well as unleashing 2003’s Combat mash-ups album through
Tigerbeat6 offshoot Violent Turd. The press sheet describes Disko
Donkey as being “probably as dancefloor-based as Mochipet will
ever get,” and after even a cursory listen, it’s certainly hard to
argue with self-assessment.

Indeed, with its hyperactive flits between the two poles of
jagged, digitally manipulated electro-pop and more grinding, deeper
techno, the album comes across as one likely to take his productions
to a new audience considerably wider than the breakcore crowd. The
Ellen Allien collaboration “Robot Girl” practically screams “
single” from the get-go, as Yang’s own smooth indie-inflected vocals
slide against Allien’s digitally manipulated tones, all atop an icy
backing of colorful blipping synths and skipping electro rhythms
that sit somewhere between Tiga and a considerably more chilled-out
Kill Memory Crash. The jangling acoustic-guitar-led “Woody Guthrie”
also picks up the stutter-y electro-pop baton and runs with it, with
darkly robotic bass sequences nicely offsetting the close-miked
chords as a vaguely New Order-like bass line slips into position
beneath.

It’s certainly not all catchy crossover pop on the agenda,
however. “From Bedrooms to Bass Bins” and “Quills” manage to inject
plenty of deep electro-tech fuel, the former notable for pitting
relentless 808 rhythms against a roiling backdrop of evil buzzing
synth noise. The inclusion of five additional remixes on Disko
Donkey represents something of a significant bonus, particular
highlights being Phon.o and [A] pendics’ reworkings of the title
track, which manage to rewire things spectacularly towards broken
electro-funk and streamlined Trentemoller-esque minimal techno,
respectively.

Chris Downton

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