Review: Ribe makes a triumphant return to the sonic mothership with the mesmerizing "La Penumbra EP," a testament to his prowess in the realms of intelligent techno and intricate sound design. Fresh off the heels of his acclaimed album, Ribe once again takes us on an otherworldly journey through modular madness that reaffirms his mastery of the craft. The EP opens with "La Penumbra," a track that lives up to its name by immediately conjuring images of darkness and elusive shadows. A lone bass drum sets the stage, accompanied by a symphony of drones and ambiences that intertwine and evolve throughout the arrangement. This sonic canvas paints a portrait of enigmatic realms, drawing listeners into its captivating obscurity. "El Metodo" follows suit, with repetitive modular bleeps float gracefully over a bass-heavy groove, while additional percussive elements gradually make their entrance, culminating in a hypnotic climax. while "Las Raices" delves into a heavier, rawer soundscape. Closing the EP with finesse, "Bajo el Olivo" presents a liquid and elastic journey with resonant bubbles bounce asymmetrically atop the rhythm, adorned with occasional percussive details.
Review: Serving as a reminder that first impressions really do count, Ribe and Roll Dann drop a steamrolling debut for Klockworks. "Preludio" centres on pummelling kicks and razor-sharp percussion, with these elements acting as the basis for mesmerising synths. "El Vinculo" is more dubbed out but no less impactful - again, the duo deploys heavy drums as the backdrop for chords that shimmer and soar. "Pugna" marks a shift in approach. This time, there's a more angular, stripped back rhythm to the fore as jagged synths play out in the foreground. "Delirio", with its twitchy, shuffling drums and insistent percussion, also ensures that this release will not be easily forgotten.
Review: Following a release on Warm Up last year, Alberto Pascual aka Ribe drops an album's worth of mind-bending club techno. The title track is a trip to the outer limits of the form, with pinprick bleeps and microscopic drums prevailing, while on "Grandes Valles", Ribe opts for a denser take on esoteric underground music. "Anomalia" marks a shift in mood, with Pascual dropping robust drums while on "Melancolia" intensity levels are pushed into the red courtesy of noisy, gritty kicks. However, ethereal sensibilities are never too far away on Las Noches; "Diverso", while based on powerful drums, has a spaced-out aesthetic at its core and the driving "Sucubo" also resounds to neo-classical strings.
Review: Oscar Mulero recruits another talented producer to Warm Up, with Alberto Pascual aka Ribe delivering an exceptional release. The title track is a pulsating, throbbing groove, featuring a wall of hypnotic bleeps and tones that gradually rise in intensity. Ribe favours a different approach on the ominous "Shapes", where a cavernous dub aesthetic is fused with a rolling rhythm. Meanwhile, "Ad Infinitum" is a more abstract piece, with fractured beats combined with layered textures. Pascual veers back towards the dance floor for the drum-heavy " Device" and "Distinct", a lean, skeletal rhythm that features grinding riffs and grayscale textures. Mulero also weighs in on remix duties, providing two robust takes of "Ad Infinitum".
Review: Token has traditionally maintained a tightly-knit roster, but on this compilation it welcomes new producers to the fold. Nastia Riegel's "Pray" kick-starts Fuga with dreamy, dubbed-out techno, while Stefan Vincent's "Fever Dream" paints a hypnotic, minimal picture. On "Biomorph", Border One - who is best known for his releases on Wolfskuil - delivers a grimy, bass-heavy groove, while Dold's "My Homework Ate My Dog" and PTTRN's "Contempt/Suggest 6" are the kind of high-paced but intricate techno tracks that the Belgian label has helped to pioneer. Rounding off this fine compilation are the discordant tones of Ribe's "The Cause" and Linkan Ray's bleep-heavy "Introspective Vision".
Review: Ribe is a relatively new name, with just one prior release to his credit. However, listening to Acute, it is clear that his sound is very mature. The title track is based on pounding kicks, metal plated percussion and in the background the shrill shriek of a bomber delivering its payload. In contrast to this studied, almost detached approach is "Atop". Centered on a dense, stepping rhythm, the arrangement plays host to a layered, grungy riff that sounds like it summoned from the depths of Hades. Effortlessly demonstrating two very different styles, there is no doubt that we'll be hearing more from Ribe soon.
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