Microtrauma At Juno Download

Review: German duo Ricardo Linke and Daniel PaBler aka Microtrauma's debut for Traum may be based on club-friendly reduced beats, but it's certainly no run of the mill affair. An eerie chord sequence builds over a rolling tribal pattern on "Diffusion" and a similar rhythm arrangement is peppered with 303 stabs and trancey hooks on "Saturation". However, probably the biggest surprise is "Contrast"; glitchier than the other tracks, its rolling groove unexpectedly veers into a humming bass, dubstep-style lurch. Surprises are also audible on the remixes, with Max Cooper's take on "Contrast" fuelled by euphoric trance melodies and woodblock beats, while Ryan Davis and Richie G offer more conventional slamming and trancey remixes respectively.

Review: On this release, the German duo Microtrauma is likely to garner most attention for "Circulate" and "Outcry". The former is a Holden-esque, off beat techno anthem, who's skipping pixie beats give way to an ecstatic melodic rush, while the latter is a stripped back techno groove supported by surging bass and dreamy pads. The remixes of "Circulate" - from Max Cooper, Monoid and Morris Cowan - are all geared towards the dance floor, with the Cooper take showing the most subtlety and imagination, but none of these are superior to "Emilia". Consisting of magical, lullaby melodies and hooks so fragile that they sound like they could snap at any moment, it is the truest representation of the duo's talents.

Review: Microtrauma has a name for making big room neon trance-fuelled tracks and "reflection" won't do this reputation any harm. Over a pulsing rhythm soaked in acid trippiness, he lays down spacey synths that lead to an inevitable but satisfying crescendo. The rest of the release is of a more subdued, at times darker nature: "Blutenstaub" features a rolling rhythm underpinned by heavy kicks and a squelchy bass, while "Nordlicht" goes even further with blasts of visceral low end copperfastened to a malevolent rhythm. There is a reminder of Microtrauma's melodic prowess on the clubby reshape of "Reflection" by Egbert, but in the main this release seethes with a hitherto undocumented menace.

Review: Talk about a big room sound. On the title track, German duo Microtrauma provide niggling percussive licks and a surging bass as the backdrop for one of their typical, building trance riffs. On this occasion however, after the melody has arced upwards, the breakdown is swift and unexpected, with an emo guitar riff coming to the fore. "Trigone" is less epic, yet its skeletal rhythms and rubbery bass also support a dark trance melody. Meanwhile, the remixes of "Solitone" remain close to the original's spirit if not its sound. Fairmont's version is based on pumping acid lines and swirling chords, while the Electric Rescue take features a buzzing bass and evocative riffs providing the basis for a series of out- there vocal samples.