Review: Soma continues to support underground music, and the latest artist to feature on the storied label is Ear To Ground boss Gareth Wild. "Deviance Is Bliss (2023 Re-Edit)" is built on hammering kicks and tribal percussion, but it's all about the dramatic synth line that floats through the arrangement. The title track is a more heads-down affair, as Wild drops murky sequences over a steely rhythm. "Ambush" is based on a rolling groove and features a dramatic filter that calls to mind the mood of Envoy's Soma classic "Dark Manoeuvres". On "Tangled Thorns", Wild opts for a more intense approach as jittery sound scapes are conjured up over pounding drums.
Review: Following EPs from Forum and Tremor, Catalog 01366 drops this diverse 14-track compilation. Jancen and 2bit2bi both deliver high-paced dub techno rollers on "Marginis" and "Cartel" respectively. Gareth Wild's "Mortal Engines" also has a lot of depth, with the EarToGround founder conjuring up brooding, filtered tones that unfold over rolling break beats. Isabel Soto and Juan Bermudez draw on minimal techno influences for the steely percussive rhythms of "Atman" and "Saoko", while the fast-paced tribal groove of Kabay's "Monologue" sounds like a contemporary take on 90s loop techno. The many differing sounds and approaches is also audible on Tsukuyomi's "Friends", a melodic guitar-laden club track.
Review: Gareth Wild has a small but finely formed catalogue, with most output appearing on his esteemed EarToGround label. Night Breed sees him deliver two exemplary tracks - the title track is a bleak but exhilarating affair, as Wild conjures up a bruising, hypnotic arrangement that has echoes of Mike Parker's subsonic grooves, delivered against a backdrop of steely kicks. "Tronic State" is more visceral, with great swathes of white noise enveloping Wild's broken rhythm. The release also features two heavyweight remixes: Swarmm drops a great drum'n'bass take on the title track, while Oscar Mulero turns "Tronic..." into a stripped back, percussive affair, underpinned by grimy bass.
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