Review: Rotterdam heroes of relentless peak time techno Mord are back, presenting Jeroen Liebregts
aka Radial, who fast became a staple of the Dutch label in addition to releases on Audio Assault and the legendary Planet Rhythm. Here he serves up a bunch of club ready DJ tools for maximum dancefloor impact on the Bona Fide EP. Starting out with the heavily hypnotic trance induction of "Formants", the following track "Nano" goes for the stripped back and steely vibes of classic Djax Up Beats or Relief Records style grooves. In addition, there's the overly compressed aesthetic of "1211" capturing the zeitgeist of classic late '90s techno while dynamic closer "Micro" is the most funky and soulful offering on this fine EP.
Review: This is Mord's most ambitious venture to date, with a box set of seven records laying out the Dutch imprint's tough techno agenda. Regulars like UVB and Radial set the tone, with the former dropping brutish kicks and jarring riffs on "Someone Calling Cut" and Radial veering into a pumping direction on "Cru".Label owner Bas Mooy moves the compilation towards a more streamlined approach with the dense, linear Klockworks-like "Owl In Daylight", but Herdersmat also shows that the label has succeeded in attracting some heavyweight international talent; Eomac's "Phisk" is a disorienting rave-flecked stepper and Sleeparchive drops the bleep-heavy bomb that is "Evicted".
Review: Issued on Bas Mooy's Mord label, Mundi shows Radial has come into his own as a techno producer. "Storm Tide" kick starts the release with firing percussion, distorted, heavy drums and just the right amount of snarling attitude. "Boks" sees him make a diversion into a more swung sound. Like 2652 chewing on a mouthful of nails, the spiky broken betas and sparse, glitchy percussion show that the Dutch producer isn't afraid to think outside the box. This sense of experimentation is also audible on "Quarantine", where wave upon wave of drones are built over a spiky rhythm. He completes the package with the hypnotic pulses of "Fair Trade Slaves".
Review: Bas Mooy's new label launches in style with an EP from Radial. Alternating between straight, batten-down-the-hatches techno and swinging, loose rhythms, it will appeal both to those who want to play linear sounds and anyone looking for a more offbeat take on modern techno. Radial caters to the first cohort with "Asiel", a tunneling affair punctuated by shards of psychedelic, metallic sounds and "Closer" a pounding track bolstered by dubby drums and intense panel-beating. But when Radial goes down a less obvious route, the results are more interesting; "1980" features a screeching vocal and stuttering tribal drums, while "NYE" is a lithe percussive affair punctuated by smart filters and a woman commanding 'repeat after me'.
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.