snake eyes!

Tes - Trigga Tha Whistla (Black Dice remix)

So in case you're new to the site, here's the relevant history behind this post: Lex records = the shit, so add their entire catalog to your library. Now that we've gotten that out of the way, today's track is from Lex artist Terrence Tessora, a.k.a. Tes, and remixed by Black Dice from the ever-growing DFA label. The original was a triumphant exploration of minimal beat structures, and Black Dice have worked it into a curiously toe-tapping yet equally-minimal picture of the starting material. This track appears on the Lexample Blue compilation, and while I think that CD was a promo only, I strongly recommend the Lex Trilogy CDs / 3 x 12" series for an equally impressive smattering of what the label is all about.

Tes represents a slice of the oft-overlooked Brooklyn-based experimental hip-hop movement (the mid and west seem to have most of the attention in that area). His full length X2 delivers a finely crafted piece, which explores jagged electronic broken beat schemes with influences that seem to be more from industrial or disco than traditional hip-hop. You can [stream or purchase the album on Bleep], but if you get the vinyl version, you get a free bonus instrumental disc as a second 12" along with the usual stunning artwork by Ehquestionmark. You can also listen to a live performance by Tes here.