Marc Houle has the best sense of humor in electronic music.

He's the kind of guy you sit in the corner of a party with and dryly make fun of people all evening, trying to maintain a straight face. (He is Canadian after all.) The right balance of sharp wit and sugar makes the for best satire. Add an infectious hook, some great synth sounds, and you have an instant classic.

I lost track of how many times Speedy J played Houle's new single "Techno Vocals" this Saturday at Decibel in Seattle, and I haven't been able to get it out of my head for weeks now. As hooky as the single is, the B-side "On It" is the real stand out.

It's well documented that Marc has more than a passing interest in 80's electro, New Wave and retro computer games and these influences are somehow more apparent on Minus 50 than on his earlier solo releases or as part of Run, Stop, Restore. "On It" in particular will turn a few heads, making, as it does, a detour into previously unexplored territory. Revolving around a heavily filtered melodic bass riff, Houle punctuates the dry, upfront groove with a choice selection of rough, old school samples before dropping into a series of moody bass variations that give the track its distinctive flavour.