( HWSD 016 ) Cedric DEKOWSKI / FELIX REIFENBERG - Dedictated To Uwe (10") Hardworksoftdrink

Cedric Dewkowski and Felix Reifenberg have long been associated with Frankfurt collective Hardworksoftdrink, with the pair's 2017 collaborative full-length L'Album still the only LP that the label has released to date. Typically, the artistic imprint has not offered up much information about Dedicated to Uwe, their latest joint 12". Regardless, it's well worth a listen thanks to the pair's love of far-sighted synth sounds and firm grasp of mood and melody. A-side 'Herzogen' is particularly enjoyable, with the duo peppering a gentle electro rhythm with sun-bright keyboard stabs, squelchy acid bass, starry chords and cheerful melodies. There's a similar blend of sounds at play on flipside 'Vondekloties', which reminded us a little of the colourful, retro-futurist IDM of Birmingham-based synthesizer fetishists Plone.