James Holden and his Border Community imprint are among many of the latest producers/labels working hard to blur the lines between techno, minimal, and progressive house. Along with labelmate Nathan Fake, he released a string of 12" singles that caught the attention of many DJs and dancefloors around the world. So it makes sense that Holden's debut full-length, The Idiots Are Winning, would continue his mission of moving styles closer together. The album's opening tunes, "Lump" and "10101," are without question a nod of the cap to classic Richard D. James, with haunting melodies and indecipherable vocal lines. He switches things up with "Corduroy," a six-minute acid house number that wouldn't be out of place among the latest works of James T. Cotton or Theo Parrish. The album gradually accelerates back into more familiar Holden territory, losing momentum with a two-minute intermission of silence before shifting into high gear. Throughout it all, Holden recalls elements of the past, but does so without an ounce of nostalgia or retro recycling.
© Rob Theakston /TiVo