Exium At Juno Download

Review: Exium continue to strengthen their working relationship with Pole Recordings, gracing Oscar Mulero's label with A Sensible Alternative To Emotion, their second studio album. Having spent over a decade refining their own vision of hard edged techno, Exium use this platform of a second album to expand on their established sound, at times easing down the tempos and intensity for a more balanced listen across the 10 tracks. Productions such as the granite heavy "Massless Particle" or tunnelling abstraction of "Absolute Magnitude" demonstrate this is no drastic departure from the Exium sound but there's an equal consideration for melodic arrangements and more subdued moments.

Review: There is no doubt that Spanish techno is enjoying a surge in creativity, right at the time when the country's economy is in tatters and its society at the point of implosion. Exium is helping to lead the Spanish charge and this three-tracker shows why he's at the top of his game. "Cloner" is the most powerful track here, its chiming bells and dark, stabbing riff leading into a dramatic break down, while "Resetor" features granite-hard beats and hissing percussion providing the backdrop for icy chord blasts. Finally, "Thyra" is more understated, but even its stripped back rhythms contain eerie soundscapes and niggling acid licks.

Review: Exium prove again why they are one of hard techno's most acclaimed acts. The title track is an adroit combination of styles, with a pulsing bass suggesting a youth spent listening to EBM and industrial and a similar stretch of time immersed in streamlined minimal techno. The Spanish duo manage to seamlessly facilitate this cross-pollination by deploying hissing percussion and a grimy bass. On "Recycler" they also succeed in executing a seamless blend of disparate elements with grainy beats and a raw, analogue bass supporting chiming chords, while "Ripper" is also based on an unusual interplay - this time gurgling acid gets cosy with dreamy pads.

Review: Some of underground techno's most respected names rework tracks from Exium's album. Jereon Search's 'Machine' remix of "Trashflow" is based on menacing, stepping rhythms and jagged riffs, while Inigo Kennedy's take on "Frontline" features similarly steely, austere riffs, backed up by cold bleeps. However, it's Spanish producer Oscar Mulero who scoops the prize for intensity; his combination of buzz saw bass, heavy, slightly distorted beats and churning chords on his version of "Time" will surprise even the most die-hard techno fan. By contrast, Nick Dunton's take on "Avoid the Ritual" is a deep, reflective jam, consolidating the UK producer's reputation as one of electronic music's most esoteric talents.