Dino Sabatini At Juno Download

Review: If you've come looking for more tripped out Italian techno, then you won't be disappointed by Modulated Waves. However, that doesn't mean listeners should expect that the talented Sabatini to trot out tried and tested nuances and motifs. "Modulation A" focuses on layered, dense rhythms. While Sabatini embellishes the arrangement with hushed, spooky effects, they are edged to the periphery as the beats and groove gradually dominate the centre stage, building to a fuzzy climax. "Modulation B" is reminiscent of Stroboscopic Artefacts's Monad series, as broken beats cascade over recoiling basslines, but the atmosphere is doomier and the overall feeling irresistibly disconnected.

Review: This release on Adam X's long-running label shows that Sabatini is one of the most accomplished new school techno producers. "Step 1" kick-starts the release with an abrasive bassline and a wall of gradually building noise that replicates the experience of getting too close a jet engine as it powers up. "Step 2" is less intense, but still has a menacing edge thanks to its droning bassline, while the third track sees Sabatini opt for a more stripped back rhythmic approach. Here too however are insistent, scary riffs and atonal rave bleeps. Even though "Steps 4" opts for a slower tempo, it is underscored by eerie sounds and abstract crackling and has an understated intensity.