Review: Suspended Animation is Phase's second release on Token this year and continues one of the longest-running partnerships in contemporary techno music. The Belgian imprint has been home to Ashley Burchett's music for well over a decade, and as, this EP demonstrates, continues to support his varying takes on dance floor techno. Fittingly, "Suspended Animation (Stroke B)" is a fast-paced, pumping rhythm, powered by a sleek, pulsating bass that supports trancey hooks. On the "Stroke C)" version, Burchett opts for a slower, more heads-down approach. The bass is dense and darker, and the use of a breathy vocal sample adds to the sense of mystique.
Review: This is Token's 80th release, but the Belgian label shows no sign of running out of steam. Indeed, the opposite is true; Boundary Interactions sees one of its main artists, Phase, deliver an abrasive but highly effective EP. "Search Party" resounds to rattling, incessant bells, firing percussion and a spacey, growling filter. It's a real peak time offering from the UK artist. By contrast, "Microdose" is more stripped back and repetitive, with a steely rhythm underpinning eerie chord sequences. Meanwhile on the title track, Phase drops a bouncy groove and, reliving the trance sound of the 90s, a melancholic melody that does a lot to dispel Token's reputation as solely serving up tough techn
Review: Ashley Burchett has been releasing on Token since its inception a decade ago, so the direction on Metropolitan comes as a surprise. The title track is more direct than is Burchett's usual appraoch, with a fizzling din riding an up-tempo, linear rhythm, heavy drums and cheese-wire sharp percussion. It sounds like SP-X going head to head with Robert Hood. On "The Absent Mind", there is another unexpected move; the UK producer delivers a metallic, clanging rhythm that fuses Chain Reaction's dubby repetition with the locked on, linear approach of the aforementioned Mr Hood. Only on "Fallen Columns" does O stay close to the stepping sound that he made his name with - but even there, the approach is understated and ghostly.
Review: Ashley Burchett follows up last year's Versions on Token with a second installment. This latest volume also shines a light on the UK producer's musical evolution. While the busy, rhythmic sound that underpinned his earlier releases is still audible on the rugged "Transantarctic (Polar Version)", it only tells part of the story. "Like a Light (Berlin demo)", with its insistent chords and scuffled dub beats tug at that city's musical legacy. The Substance remix of "Morodem" meanwhile, sees Burchett fuse a pulsing disco groove with cold steely percussion and a spiky rhythm. The final piece in this reinvention sees Burchett go back to Berlin albeit this time for the Klockworks-style dense workout that is "Behind the Sun (Re-Kon Dub)".
Review: It only took Phase two years to follow up his debut album, Frames of Reference, but this second long player shows no signs that he rushed out a follow up. Ashley Burchett, the UK producer behind the project, draws on some classic techno tropes; the visceral, linear rhythm of "Blind Eye" has echoes of vintage Robert Hood, while the layered, hypnotic, layered grooves of "The Maze" sound like they came from Jeff Mills space station. However, there are many other moments where Alone is unmistakably the work of Phase. This is most audible on the hard-edged but futuristic "Increment", the insistent shuffle of "Spacialize" (sic) and best of all, "Remote", a bruising broken beat affair underpinned by a cavernous bass.
Review: It's been great to see Ashley Burchett finally get his dues in the last few years where he has kept on with a steady slew of killer releases. Most of them on Token. Versions is further testament to this but as the title suggests, showcases some revised and unreleased takes on previous efforts. And they're just as brilliant. "Flyby/Falling (Enhanced Version) is typical of Burchett with its slamming, cyclical peak time intensity. "Bulk (Unreleased Demo Mix)" is a stripped DJ tool with its chugging and brutal delayed beat accompanied by muted and syncopated percussion. "Obscura Mix 1" slams away in a funky and tribal fashion similar to an old James Ruskin or Oliver Ho cut. Finally "Mass (Stripped Mix)" does exactly what it says on the cover with this pummelling DJ tool.
Review: The long-running fruitful relationship between O [Phase] aka Ashley Burchett and Belgian label Token continues on Tunnel Vision. More direct than the UK producer's previous releases on the imprint, "Vision" is a pounding, linear groove, its hissing filters sounding like the release of a thousand steam pistons and complementing the hard-as-nails metal rhythm. "Internal Conflict (Acts 1-3)" is less rigid; it sees Burchett deploy a rolling groove laced with a succession of tonal bleeps and 303 builds. It even features conga drums near the end, but despite
Review: Arguably the two biggest R's in techno at the moment remix [Phase], with Rodhad revealing a more emotive side to his techno, while Robert Hood delivers the goods like only he can. Rodhad's interpretation takes away some of the original low-end heard in "Perplexed", resulting in something that's groovy, but still tough, while noticeable increasing the blue-noted tones of the track. Robert Hood's love affair with "Dirto II" continues with the Detroit legend joining in on the cold temperaments for a clinical and percussively slicing remix. With rapid fire releases like this, it seems trying to match Token's dominance of club techno at the moment would be a futile act.
Review: Over the course of ten tracks to appear on Frames Of Reference, the long-time coming debut album by Phase, the Englishman draws upon ideas he's been fine tuning for more than a decade. Of the fresh material is the rich bass and sinister crawl of "On The Edge", the haunted glass whistles of "Dirtro II" and the respective electro and dubby leaning "Just Another Dance" and "Shadow Caster". Rearranged riffs come via the LP's opening track "Binary Opposition (process 3)" which sets the tone for a heady mix of no frills techno undeniably designed for club play. It's an impressive debut which incorporates elements of muscular European rhythmics with passages of motor city mechanics and melodic tonality.
Review: So far this year, the Gent-based Token have been in suitably rampant form, issuing material from Inigo Kennedy and Xhin, reissuing a Mark Broom classic and unleashing Token Introspective, the label's first official mix that's been compiled by founder Kr!z, which arrived last week. Whilst most labels would stop momentarily to catch their breath, Token don't even countenance it and instead ramp up the expectation for the upcoming LP from label mainstay O [Phase]. Due out in the Autumn, Frames Of Reference is the long awaited debut album from O [Phase], aka South West Londoner Ashley Burchett and a taste of what to expect on it arrives in the shape of the On The Edge / Perplexed EP, with both tracks here showing true techno grit.
Review: Belgian label Token is one of the most consistent techno imprints because it gives short shrift to fads and fashions. Phase, one of the label's core artists, showcases its uncompromising style here. The title track is a tough, pumping affair, its heavy drums housing phased synths that suggest a world of unknown horrors. But it's on "The Chasedown" that Phase excels; the beats are heavy and concrete-like and a hint of acid lends it a menacing undercurrent. Nothing could prepare the listener for the wave of droning bee sounds that emerges in the middle of the arrangement, amplified to the nth degree until it feels like a million insects are buzzing from within your cranium.
Review: Phase's recent Binary Opposition finds itself remixed by a host of techno's most vital names on this massive collection from Token. Planetary Assault Systems puts his abrasive stamp on the source material, with juddering synthwork poking out of the cracks, while CTRLS takes a dustier approach, taking the original's four to the floor approach and putting a bit of broken beat swagger into it - but one that's refreshingly off the grid. Our Circula Sound boss Sigha meanwhile favours a stripped back, greyed out, minimalistic approach, while Peter Van Hoesen and Ben Klock provide the most club focused tracks on the collection - with the former's heavy kicks and tunnelling bassline and Klock's thick slabs of dub satisfying the urges of those who like their techno a little more simple. Finally, Inigo Kennedy provides a dystopian take whose sci-fi synths and electro influenced beats are filled with Drexciyan undertones.
Review: John Malkovich and Daniel Day-Lewis have garnered the reputation of being actor's actors. Ashley Burchett aka Phase is proving to be a producer's producer, certified by commissioned mixes from the likes of Robert Hood, Dave Clarke and Ben Sims, as well spots in Resident Advisor podcasts by Surgeon and Carl Craig. Since 2007 Phase has been channelling his burrowed beats and jarring analogue riffs through Belgian and techno genuine imprint Token. A mastering engineer by trade, Burchett achieves perfect equilibrium in his mix downs where no sound or artefact dominates the other. Shifting crackles and resonating textures cosy up to looped rhythms of "Binary Opposition (Process 1)" which Phase substitutes for more melodic yet insidious soundscapes in "Binary Opposition (Process 2)" - handing the likes of Dettmann and Nodge some early afternoon Berghain fodder with two tracks harbouring the longevity needed to fuel their legendary Sunday sessions.
Review: Roog Unit is a collaboration between Mote Evolver boss Luke Slater and Ashley Burchett, who is best known for his work on Token as ?[Phase]. On the title track, it sounds like the pair have reverted to Slater's early 90s hard techno sound. Powered by titanium kicks and firing snare rolls, wave upon wave of filtered builds lead it to a dramatic crescendo. In contrast, "Sanity Regard" deploys a more stripped back approach, with the focus on a linear groove and the gradual introduction of cacophonous percussion. "Don't Let Go" is based on a similar, albeit tougher, approach. This time, Slater and Burchett add looped vocal samples to the mix, while "Koox" centres on a pounding rhythm and chiming bells that haunt the arrangement.
Review: After delivering a series of impactful remixes for his Modwerks camp, O [Phase] delivers yet four more solo productions that showcase the veteran producers timeless signature of groove minimalism. Continuing his exploration of classic, refined, industrial techno, O [Phase] reaffirms his position as a maestro, blending looped-up elements with a contemporary touch, offering a compelling sonic experience for the modern day and old school techno lover. Dabbling in some acid on "Plot Twists" with claps to make Robert Hood jealous, techno above the 140bpm tempo never sounded so groovy.
Review: "Human Error" was one of the highlights of O [Phase]'s 2021 album, Before This. Now it gets a new lease of life thanks to a remix from Stef Mendesidis. The Klockworks producer takes its swirling synths and adds tough, rolling drums to the arrangement, ensuring a fine balance between depth and force. The release also features "Modwerka", which is also taken from Before This, providing another opportunity to hear O [Phase]'s penchant for dense tribal drums. In contrast, on "Portenoir", he increases the tempo and ups the intensity level to deliver a rolling, bleep-laden workout that is sure to cause maximum dance floor impact.
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