Reptant - Duality Of The Gecko

9 Oct

Running electro back to its roots with a funky hip-hop-infused 2-track is Reptant. Having a second release on the Kalahari Oyster cult is no small feat, as it's home to some of the heaviest hitters in the game. The Kalahari Oyster Cult is quickly becoming the label to find the sounds of the summer, the floor fillers, and the party classics. No surprise that Reptant's Duality Of The Gecko (2023) lives up to the hype. Doing what it says on the tin and offering two distinct and fit-for-purpose electro cuts, one with a decidedly more old-school flair while the other comprises hefty bass and trippy lead lines. The Melbourne-born Lucas J. Hatzisavas has had his fingers in many pies, splitting his time between several aliases. Lucas has recently been dividing his time between two pseudonyms, Lou Krash and Reptant—all that while being the leader of the lizard tech militia (allegedly).

In the first track of Duality Of The Gecko, I can sense a revival of b-boy culture landing imminently. Simultaneously, 'Lizard Eyes' hits the sweet spot between a dystopian hellscape and a light-hearted rhythm track. Think Robocop, a dark comedy about our relationship with technology. The metaphor comes into its own as a digitised voice waxes lyrical about some pretty human things. 'Lizard Eyes' doesn't just rest on imaginative metaphor or nod to a retro-future but wholeheartedly embraces it. The drums pop like hip-hop, and the futuristic 808 bass adds to the boom-bap styling. Squelchy synths provide a sleek call and response with the vocals. Taking a slightly different root, 'Polygrams' is straight club filth. Unrelenting kicks and acidic rolling bass. Reptant lets the groove gallop. The percussion has a rhythm that puts them adjacent to a footwork beat. The sound of receivers searches for frequencies that make up the flourishes and flavour. If 'Lizard Eyes' symbolises the words, 'Polygrams' is the escape, fundamental and fun.

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