NDF's “Since We Last Met” 12″ dropped in August, but DFA is riding high on reinterpretations of Bruno Pronsato's minimalist production, enlisting Banjo or Freakout for a cover. Rightfully so, I feel as though I've heard this song all my life and not because it's one of those signature 10-minute DFA dance outs. It has more to do with the pleasant refrain of “One day I'll see her on the street/ And we'll greet with casualness/
And discuss the flow beneath the bridges/ Since we last met/ And
that'll be all” – so quaint, yet so deflating.
Turns out the man behind the NDF curtain is operating under a nom-de-plume, creating further smoke and mirrors around his identity. It's a bit disappointing to learn that Bruno Pronsato is not a wildly melancholic Italian Casanova with a heavy heart, but delicate techno touch (no homo?), but some former drummer dude named Steve Ford. Still, this Steve dude has worked with some authentic Berliners like Ricardo Villalobos and Sergio Giorgini – one half of Benoit & Sergio.
If Berlin likes it spacious and airy, London likes it brooding, as Banjo or Freakout producer Alessio Natalizia's cover rides the lower end of the ivories. Oddly enough, Banjo or Freakout infuses a bit of that kraut-rock hypnotism that always makes me think of the hustle and bustle of underground transit systems, or just listening to Neu!. If I had to pick which version was more “signature DFA,” I'd go with the Banjo or Freakout stylings, as it recalls the better moments of experiencing James Murphy's musings.
