Indie electro innovator, Caro (a.k.a. Randy Jones) developed a passion for techno in his native Madison, Wis., which meant he caught glimpses of the dance-music revolution in larger cities, but had to improvise his own sounds and influences. Fast forward several years and used synths later, and Jones now pushes the dance envelope as the co-founder of Orac Records, on which he has released several dance singles. The latest of which, My Little Pony, pulses with dialed-down vocals served up over a clip-clopping beat and flavored with flare-ups of electro intrigue, which get manipulated by guest DJs on three remixes. Sparse but hooky, Caro makes dance music for those who prefer a subtle groove.

—Sarah Tomlinson, Rockpile

Caro’s “My Little Pony” is a delicious transformation of a kid’s plastic toy into a slick and twisted seduction with lyrics like “I love the way you shake your tail.” While the gallops gleefully play the song off as a novelty track, it’s quickly apparent it’s more than it. The slinky bassline, funky square synths, and cowbell breakdown ensure that the song is not merely a “one-trick pony,” but at very least, a damn enticing one.

—Nate De Young, Stylus

Seattle’s Orac label kicks off its year with two strong releases.  Drawing upon well-developed strains of German minimal Techno, Orac continues to establish its unique sound &emdash; and, in the process, confirms its place as one of North America’s most vital Techno labels.  Caro is Orac head Randy Jones, and his “My Little Pony” is one sexy little showhorse, trotting along over a dirty flanging bassline, accompanied with subtly vocoded spoken lyrics and punctures by insistent keyboard flare-ups.  Ben Nevile sands down the funk, emphasising the track’s creaks and cracks, while Orac stablehand Bruno Pronsato puts some polish on the tackle, in line with brassy Berliners like Luciano.  London’s Beckett & taylor put their own incomparable touch to their remix, turning the percussion into a cutlery factory in an earthquake.

—Philip Sherburne, The Wire

Orac has been garnering a good deal of praise lately for its funky spin on micro-house and techno, scoring another point for the American team in a frequently European-dominated game.  The original version of the title track is lighthearted and minimal jack and wouldn’t sound too incongruous on a label like Poker Flat; a growly bass line underscores suggestive pitch-shifted vocals, while restrained hi-hats and further analog tweaks and twiddles make for a memorable dancing experience. 

Ben Nevile breaks up the groove of the original and slows the tempo to an early-evening simmer, fashioning a broken-beat creature that’s more “pre-” than “post-.” Bruno Pronsato ups the tempo and adds a variety of flanged elements to his harder-edged revision, resulting in a cleaner, smoother finish in spite of numerous cuts, edits and standard abuses.  In what sounds strangely like a revision by Matthew Herbert, Beckett + Taylor toss the vocals from the original, adding their own to a slightly jazzy, shuffle house number.  A wise move, leaving the listener with a flavor for every party. 

—John H. DeGroot, Grooves

Opening with a classic clip-clop pattern (clip-hop?), Caro’s “My Little Pony” oozes a sexy electro-funk vibe with double-tracked vocals ("I love the way you shake your head, I love the way you shake your tail") slathered over subterranean bass lines and skanky rhythms. Equally fine are the three remixes which reinvent the original while still retaining enough of it to preserve the connection: Ben Nevile breaks it down to a skeletal funk frame without losing its undulating charm; Bruno Pronsato’s rambunctious “Capelli’s Glue Mix” shuffles along as a sweet microhouse groove besieged by flickering shards and jazzy snare hits; and Beckett + Taylor conjure a radical, almost salsa-flavoured makeover with bouncing rhythms that jerk and shimmy in equal measure. They’re all great but Caro’s original in particular is as hilarious as it is incredible.

—Ron Schepper, textura

Seattle’s Orac doing it again with this freaked out, vocoded slice of
modern machine funk. Mildly acidic basslines merge with oddball organ
stabs and scattered, shuffling rhythms to create a late night anthem
for the marching masses. Ben Nevile, Bruno Pronsato and Beckett &
Taylor turn in equally stunning remixes, making this one hell of a
cool ep.

—Dean DeCosta, BPM

Ich hätte mal wieder nicht gedacht, dass jemand wie Caro es schafft nicht nur seinem unnachahmlichen Stil treu zu bleiben, sondern dabei auch noch so überraschend zu sein, dass man jede einzelne Note dieses klappernden Tracks für Westentaschen Cowboys einfach lieben muss. Skurril gallopierende Beats, soulige Vocals und auf allen Versionen so dicht, das einem die Luft wegbleibt. Wenn der mal ein Album macht, dann muss sich Jay Haze warm anziehn. Unglaubliche Platte mal wieder.

I would not have thought that yet again someone like Caro could create, not only staying faithful to his inimitable style, but also in such a surprising way, these clappy tracks for vest-pocket cowboys of which one simply has to love each individual note.  Dryly funny galloping beats, soulful vocals and all the versions so true that they take your breath away. When the album is made, then Jay Haze himself will have to regard it warmly.  Again an unbelievable record.

—bleed, de:bug [*****]