Ryan Davis At Juno Download

Review: On the evidence of this EP, it's clear that Sebastian Waack aka Ryan Davis knows a lot about combining emotion with dance floor appeal. "Supernova" is all lithe, tumbling rhythms covered in percussive bursts and the prettiest hooks since Nathan Fake emerged from his bedroom. Davis/Waack does the same on "Eclipse", only on this occasion the melodies accompanying the stripped back beats are more inspired by Warp's 90s intelligent techno than Border Community. "Fading Star" however, is the killer track here, its sleek break beats arcing backwards as an epic trance melody shoots off into the cosmos. The remixes of "Supernova" by Microtrauma and Max Rieger don't mess too much with Davis's original compositions - apart from adding some tough glitchy rhythms - while Groj's take on "Eclipse" factors in some bassy menace.

Review: Traum step back into the year with a dose of synth-driven house from Sebastian Waack aka Ryan Davis. This comprehensive EP has heralded the support of Sasha, Stephan Bodzin and Max Cooper to name but a few. "Roads" kicks of the proceedings with an epic soundscape over a persistent rumbling bass and stripped down drum programming. "Loophole" continues in the same vain whereas "Sideways" steers the package back into the main room. The Roland M Dill remix of "Roads" is the icing on the cake here with its jacking rhythms, shrill sound textures and stabs, whilst Morris Cowan's remix of "Sideways" is a playful atmospheric end to the package.