Orphan101 At Juno Download

Review: After seemingly defining his production style in a positively minimal approach to hybrid dubstep and techno, Orphan101 comes to Decarhythm in an utterly different guise. "Itchin" launches into a brilliantly off-kilter stepper full of electro tweakery and crafty switch ups. It may sound a little awkward to digest, but the finished article nails the concept of a big banger with not a cliche in sight. "Aint Sam" harks back to cheeky minimal techno, while "Brenn" occupies a more sinister space over a 4/4 beat. Compared to the austere output of the past, this EP is Orphan101 in sure-fire party-starting mode. Recommended.

Review: Out on Decarhythm, Orphan 101 gets dubby on this new five-tracker, which features the beautifully spooked techno of "Oven Cat", the equally impressive and moody stomp of "Dit Dot" and the tasty fusion of dubstep expansiveness and tech drive that is title tune "Patcher".

Review: Bubbling Bristolian talent Orphan101 follows up releases on Saigon and his own DECA Rhythm imprint with a debut for Applepips! "Propa" kicks things off with a flurry of clicks, alarm style bleeps and midnight chimes like the cinematic soundtrack to a psychological thriller. This is soon swept away by a bone-crushingly heavy, deep DMZ style bassline, which quivers away squid bass style with light, ticking percussion sketched over the top. Juddering chords create a sense of unease, like a light flickering in the gloom or a moth's wings pattering against a bulb. This is complemented by "Disemble", which tunes into his techno sensibility much more palpably with a rippling undercurrent reminiscent of Rockwell's "Reverse Engineering'. Fractured sounds, bubbling bass and bewildering SFX build gradually on top of one other and seem to ebb and flow like organic structures before the track finishes abruptly but masterfully with an artistic musical flourish.

Review: Having spent a good few years cultivating his hybrid bass-led sound, Rob Davies commits to a full-length to further expand on the spacious, atmospheric tones that his prior singles have always gravitated towards. There's a delicate touch at work, from the gossamer drop on "Hart" to the expressive slithers of synth on "Arrow Tune", and even when the beats are falling hard and clattering, there's a supple feeling to Davies' constructions. The tracks maintain the forward-momentum of techno even as they embrace all manner of rhythms and tempo, while the melodics celebrate the possibilities afforded by digital production without compromising on depth and warmth, making for a wholly captivating debut LP.