Conrad Van Orton At Juno Download

Review: Conrad Van Orton (real name Andrea Zanchetta) unveils Part 2 of his latest recording project, which draws heavily on obscure, austere techno sources. The broken beats, vocal exorcisms and dysphoric textures of "Feng Shui Theory 3" sit somewhere between Anne James Chaton's "Eventment27" and fellow countryman Lucy's "eis". The sibilant preliminaries of "Feng Shui Theory 4" set an eerie Omega Man scene; hissing whispers haunt an abandoned underground, as bygone subway announcements echo down pitch-black tunnels and paper swept platforms. Sucky Dettmann-esque kicks motion a tribalistic, rhythmic groove. An oscillating tractor beam synth gradually enters the arrangement, harmoniously plateauing in energy so the emphasis of the track remains on a well engineered and stripped back loop.

Review: Conrad Van Orton delivers an eerie take on broken beat techno on the title track; ghostly synth lines are conjured up over the fuzzy, fractured rhythms as the producer evokes the spirit - if not the intensity - of Inigo Kennedy. Unbalance's version further advances this approach, with eerie riffs wrapped around harder, more robust breaks. Dynamo's remix meanwhile opts for a more direct dance floor approach, with an evil, nagging acid line insinuating itself through a wiry 4/4 rhythm. It's not all darkness however, and Van Orton's "Staphylo" is a deep, dubby techno groove, its warm, loose groove supporting ethereal vocals.