With multiple releases on Background Records, ~scape, and Ghostly/Spectral already under his belt, Alan Abrahams (aka Bodycode and Portable) presents a fabulous fusion of ultra-deep House and Afro-futurism on his Yore debut A Document of an African Past. Abrahams sounds positively unleashed on the twelve-minute A-side, “The Centre of Time,” which pushes the Bodycode sound farther than ever before. After opening with scattered flurries of African percussion, a warbling bass line emerges, asserting some degree of control, before a skipping pulse and voice yelps send the track on its way. Abrahams has shown himself in the past to be a master builder when it comes to weaving layers into intricate masses and does the same here too. Halfway through the piece, a breakdown occurs, allowing percussion flourishes to re-appear, now accompanied by a voiceover, before the tune kicks into gear again even more ferociously for the ride home. Lerato’s sweetly soulful vocals grace the B-side’s “Body to Body,” a mesmerizing deep house anthem that proves a perfect complement to the volcanic opener. With its swinging pulse, “Body to Body” is a little bit more in line with the established Bodycode style but is no less delicious for being so. Throughout its ten-minute duration, Abrahams stokes a funk house groove that’s got club-ready written all over it and, when Lerato’s “Let’s get it on” appears halfway through and the tight beats turn even funkier, the moment is pure bliss. Abrahams continues to amaze, regardless of whether the material appears under the Portable or Bodycode guise.Note: unfortunately, the title of the record got ‘twisted’ in the design process and, consequently, the label displays ‘A Document of an American Past’ when it should be ‘African.’

De:Bug (GER): “Für mich die bislang stimmigste Bodycode (das ist Alan Abrahams, aka Portable), denn die Beats haben so viel Fundament und Oldschoolklasse, dass seine typisch perkussiven Sounds einfach viel mehr Grund dazu haben, Intensität und Tiefe zu vermitteln und auch die gelegentlich tragischen und leicht unharmonisch gegeneinander arbeitenden Melodien irgendwie einfach nicht herunterziehen, sondern von einer in sich ruhenden Masse sprechen. Zwei mächtige Tracks, mal mit, mal ohne Vocals, die in jedem Oldschool-Set wie eine Entdeckung wirken müssen, so als gäbe es längst ein Paralleldetroit, das damals wie heute die gleiche Wirkung und Aussagekraft hat. http://www.yore-records.com bleed •••••”

Geoffroy Mugwump (Hi Phen/Suic: “Totally up my strasse...loving the speech too. ...this label is on a roll. ”

IDJ Mag UK: “Top Tune Alan ‘Bodycode’ Abrahams is undoubtedly a talented producer, but all too frequently his work’s overall feel is obscured by his drive for originality. Happily, he’s refined his more indulgent inclinations here, with the moody, old-school tones of the title track balancing just the right amount of innovation and instinct. ‘Body To Body’, meanwhile, is a sweeter, vocal-led interjection. ”

Laurent Garnier (F-Com): “superb as all the other releases on Yore ”