Review: Selected by label owner Ilario Alicante, this split release mines an underground but refreshingly diverse path. Hush & Sleep's "Perceptual Isolation" is a tough, acid-soaked pulser that rolls deep. There are no such niceties on SLV's "Meteor", a propulsive affair that resounds to rolling drums, tough kicks, lone bleeps and a ponderous vocal sample. On "Tentacles", the contribution from Maxime Dangles, a frazzled 303 and fuzzy bass intersect to create a sound not radically different to Sandwell District, while ZIPPO's track is more straightforward. "The Leopard Prey" is heavy, panel-beating techno, led by doubled up claps, steely kicks and discordant riffs.
Review: Salvatore 'SLV' Castelli has been releasing music on Soma for the past five years, and this latest missive sees him deliver a darker strain of techno. "Perpetual Slaughter" is a rave-heavy affair, with a rolling rhythm underpinning dense electronic riffs and a tortured vocal sample. "Phoenix Rising" sees him remain in this general field; fuelled by propulsive percussion and a wild bass, its hectic rhythm is populated by ominous riffs. Label owners Slam remix "Slaughter", streamlining the approach to deliver a linear affair, while Soma has also recruited Thomas Heckmann to rework the title track: in the German veteran's hands, it's transformed into a pumping affair, powered by one of his trademark visceral basslines.
Talking With The Shadows (SLV Rave mix) - (6:19) 134 BPM
First Day In The City (Stanislav Tolkachev remix) - (6:17) 135 BPM
Forest Voices (Conforce remix) - (7:57) 129 BPM
Review: Following the release of German producer SLV's ambient album "Berlin. A Portrait In Music", Soma has invited a powerful selection of techno producers to re-imagine a handful of tracks from the album. Setaoc Mass' steely and barrelling rework of "Dust" is geared for the capital's dank warehouse dance floors in the AM hours. Enigmatic Ukranian Stanislav Tolkachev delivers an emotive and isolated perspective of "First Day In The City" and Dutch dub techno sorcerer Conforce delivers the standout - with his cavernous and splintered perspective of "Forest Voices".
Review: SLV steps from the shadows again to deliver his fifth release on Soma. As on previous EPs, the focus remains on tough but funky techno. The title track sets the pace with pounding kicks, firing percussion and the meanest, most malevolent rave riffs since the heady days of vintage Joey Beltram. "Dreamscapes" sees the mysterious producer in slightly less menacing form, but its arcing acid lines and pounding kicks mean that, while somewhat more tripped out than "Reflected Light", it is still just as effective. Finally, "Unhealthy" sees SLV delve into darker, more visceral sounds than before, with broken beats and noisy, buzzing electronic riffs prevailing.
Review: Gestern Und Heute is SLV's fourth EP on Soma, and it demonstrates once again that he is a highly talented producer. The release starts with the melodic, broken beats of "Artefakt", before SLV ups the tempo to deliver "Kreuzwege". Revolving around a tough, barrelling groove, its cold bleeps recall Sandwell District at their most morose. "Jetzt" manages the best of both worlds, combining tranced out melodies over a hammering rhythm track and pulsating bass, while Soma have tapped Cleric for a remix. The Clergy label boss adds some deep, fuzzy filters and a tight stepping rhythm, but in the process, does not lose sight of the original's windswept melodies.
