(Mantra Breaks/Expanded Music)

Side A: Funkastible (8.51)
Side B: Robotika (7.54)

This latest 12” from Italian label Mantra Breaks (home of Alex Dolby, Santos and Poonisher) selects two of the breaks-oriented cuts from progressive-edged breaks producer Sasha Carassi’s recent ‘Black Mamba EP’, in a tidy vinyl re-release that’s sure to delight fans of streamlined proggy breaks.

On the A-side, ‘Funkastible’ throws in a hefty dose of funk with a warm, rolling bassline and snatches of sampled wah-guitar making their way through crashing snares and relentless breakbeats in the style of Lee Coombs / Meat Katie, whilst some dark synth bursts flit their way through. With an abiding tech-funk feel that’s brought out by the hotdogging bassline, icy electro synths and percussive tribal fills that enter towards the second half, ‘Funkastible’ would fit easily into a breaks set alongside the proggy-edged likes of Santos, whilst also maintaining the sort of relentlessly rolling rockist edge as Marine Parade’s Evil Nine.

On the flip, ‘Robotika’ takes things in a slightly darker electro-infused direction, with clicking 808s and rolling house-tinged breakbeats making their way beneath dark buzzing analogue synths and even a dash of funky cowbell – there’s also some fantastically sinister electronics and rushing sampled spinbacks that add to the dark Euro electrofunk house atmosphere here. A tight 12” release from Carassi, with two strong progressive-edged tracks that go in two entirely different directions – in my opinion, ‘Robotika’ just slightly edges out as my pick here. Recommended.

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