steffi x virginia: work a change

Steffi and Virginia return with Work A Change, an eight-track double-EP on Ostgut Ton inviting you into new dimensions of the sonic world they have crafted together over a number of years. Since their iconic 2011 collaboration "Yours" -- which became an instant classic -- the duo has experimented with new ways to express their unique strand of dancefloor melancholy. Unlike the grand maximalism often associated with vocals in dance music, Steffi and Virginia's creations use the voice less as a centerpiece and more an integral part of the groove itself, subtle in temperament and equal to its counterparts. Impassioned vocals spiral around melodic leads and warm harmonies, offering a gentle kind of catharsis that deepens with each listen. Work A Change immediately transports you to a parallel aural universe, refusing to settle into one style and merging multiple references into peculiar new formats. Opening track "Be True To Me" is subdued but inviting, working its way into the conscious with harmonic glitches and a deep, grooving bass lead. "Sight From Above" then slows things down for an angular cut of low-slung machine funk. The B-side, "Help Me Understand" lands you on another planet entirely, complete with extraterrestrial synths and animated robotics. Opening up the C-side, "Until You're Begging" is a molecular construction of fragmented motifs, both precise and hazy at the same time. Similarly, "Internal Bleeding" takes segments of percussive grooves and rearranges them into complex polyrhythms whilst retaining a careful sense of balance. Closing off the release is title track "Work A Change"; one last high-speed voyage into spiraling drums and hammer drill bass. Work A Change expands on Steffi and Virginia's aesthetic, merging elements from a number of genres into a cerebral, highly personal release. It also signals a change of direction for the duo's work, voyaging through new terrain while retaining a sound that is undoubtedly their own.