by Andy Kellman
Drew Daniel's the Soft Pink Truth grew from a dare. While Daniel was performing in Paris with Martin Schmidt as Matmos, Matthew Herbert challenged him to make a house record. Daniel responded with 2001's Soft Pink Missy 12", which Herbert released on his Soundslike label. Daniel went beyond the dare and kept the project going -- a smart decision given the strength of the debut. The second 12", Promofunk, didn't come until late 2002, but the wait was well worth it; it included a delirious, infectious update of Vanity 6's "Make Up" (featuring vocals from Blevin Blectum), and "Gender Studies," a dancefloor-bound clinic in sample stitching. Early 2003 saw the release of the full-length Do You Party?, which collected the eight tracks from the previous releases and added three additional tracks. The Acting Crazy 12" came later that year, including a new production and remixes from Herbert, Safety Scissors, and Brooks.