Review: The fourth installment on Objekt's self-titled label has been one of the most eagerly awaited releases of 2017. So is it worth the wait? "Needle & Thread" is an atmospheric, mesmerizing stepper, with the UK producer's lithe, snappy drums underpinning swirling synths, hallucinogenic keyboard squiggles and deft filter action. However, "Theme from Q" is the track that has been praised by all. A tribute to the now shut Basement Q club, it sees TJ Hertz set a dinky house keyboard line to hiccuping drums, pressure cooker builds and a meaty bass to create the most distinctive break beat techno track since Kevin Saunderson's Reese project. On this rare occasion, the hype has been justified.
Review: Since 2012 Power Vacuum has made a name for itself by releasing unrelenting rave and acid fuelled techno. After a strong second year of releases that included contributions from Mark Broom and EDMX, as well as several releases from label founder Milo Smee, the first Power Vacuum release of 2014 introduces five new artists on a split release. Although the highlight for many will be a rare track from Objekt, the angular shock and awe techno of "Balloons", the rest of the contributions are equally great. Turbo's latest recruits Joe Farr and J.Tijn team up for the steamroller that is "Mustard Sucker" while Ukrainian hard techno producer Positive Merge delivers the relentless gabber-esque stomp of "Note", but perhaps the most eye-catching inclusion is the new An-i project from Lee Douglas that recently debuted on Minimal Wave's sister label Cititrax, with the ex-TBD man delivering the scrambled frequencies of "Convo". In a word: essential.
Review: Continuing the nascent Bleep Green series of releases, Warp's faithful online arm draws on two surefire success stories that in many ways define the crossover between techno and dubstep, albeit in different ways. Objekt is in limber form, firing off ricocheting electro drum patterns in a densely realised soundworld of subtle hum and cell-quaking sub bass. Cosmin TRG is in a slower 4/4 driven mood, but there's a continued embrace of dystopian tones that matches Objekt's own malaise. As the acid slowly edges its way into the song structure, it's clear there is no light at the end of this particularly dank tunnel.
Review: After the last Objekt record got everyone frothing at the mouth, he returns with another two tracks of techno-dubstep fusion goodness. "CLK Recovery" warms up with a sound-laden start before a Detroit jazz-lick fills the space between the beats. Three minutes in the noise falls away to an uptempo thump replete with thunderous snares. "Unglued" is more broken as a stepping intro quickly gives way to rubbery synths. Things don't stagnate for long as a bumping groove pulls up before another cheeky jazz refrain and yet more rhythms. It's not often you find floor-ready bangers that also boast such dynamism.
We use cookies to personalise content and ads, to provide social media features and to analyse our traffic. We also share information about your use of our site with our social media, advertising and analytics partners who may combine it with other information that you've provided to them or that they've collected from your use of their services.