Review: Benjamin Damage has been out of the limelight for the past few years, but he returns with an impressive new Ep for ARTS. Focused mainly on the deeper side of his sound, it still manages to pack a dance floor punch, thanks to the rolling, Plastikman-esque snares of "Infinite Machine". "Skywave" is also clubby, and revolves around a stuttering rhythm, but Damage layers shimmering melodies around the arrangement, lending it real depth. "Alien Friends" follows a relatively similar path - this time the kicks are more insistent and synths swirl dramatically. The release's most esoteric piece is "Release", where sombre pads unfold over a glorious, dubbed out backing.
Review: Paul Roux takes leave from his Memorial Home project with Jeremy Pinchasi to deliver this mesmerising release. It starts with the emotive Detroit techno influenced "The Truth", where Roux fuses heart-rending melodies with a wiry, snaking rhythm. "Transform Mode" sounds like has opted for a more stripped back approach; tough tribal drums and a grungy bass prevail at the outset before he slips into soulful synth sounds. "On Reve" marks a radical departure from Roux's deep dance floor sound, with a funk bass underpinning a spaced out groove littered with vocal samples. The release concludes with another curve ball, the title track's broken beats and sun-kissed melodies.
Review: ARTS has recruited Ecilo for its latest instalment of club-primed techno, and he delivers in style. "Bugi Minimalist", with its insistent chord builds and pounding kicks, sounds like a harder, contemporary version of Ian Pooley's evergreen "Chord Memory", while on the title track, Ecilo chooses a deeper approach, with swirling synths unravelling over hammering drums. "Lorong Hitam" follows in a similar vein, but it sees Ecilo focus on more ominous elements - think the darker side of Technasia - and firing percussion. That same nocturnal element is also audible on "Jiwa Maraenism", where Ecilo fuses a driving rhythm with murky filters and eerie synths.
Review: 2020 was a particularly difficult year for electronic music, with clubs worldwide shuttered, but as the latest compilation from ARTS demonstrates, the techno community has no shortage of creative energy. This ingenuity and creativity is audible in all areas, with Rave Culture platforming new and established artists. MRD and Alfredo Mazzilli both deliver pulsating electronic bangers, while Raar's "Collider" is a moody break beat affair. At the other end of the spectrum, label owner Emmanuel's "Camouflage" is a rave-influenced peak-time roller and I Hate Models drops the stomping but atmospheric "Intergalactic Emotional Breakdown", while other established names, Benjamin Damage and ASC, deliver forceful, musical workouts.
Review: Vinicius Honorio outta Brazil slips out a fourth release for the year on the impenetrable ARTS label following stints on Drumcode and Planet Rhythm among others before that. Going hard as f*** on industrial acid tracks like "Stardust", percussive, dub techno and warped tribal elements push through to the surface on "Le Boi". Groovier, almost housed-up rhythms hit the beat in "They Are The Same" with its narrative vocal and storytelling, with a burning rhythm-track and warehouse groove sealing the deal in "Ebb & Flow". It's ARTS, it's techno.
Review: It's fair to say that this release has been a labour of love. Five years in the making, label owner Emmanuel has chosen a collection of tracks from his dream team of techno producers. This means that ASC's breathy ambience "Stasis" sits beside deep, at times acid -soaked pulsing rhythms from Boston 168, Unbalance and Forward Strategy Group as well as peak-time rollers from emerging artists like Cleric and industrial bangers courtesy of scene veterans like Dustin Zahn. While the inclusion of producers such as Subjected and the fast rising I Hate Models is sure to put increased focus on this compilation, its real, lasting value are the more cerebral contributions such as Emmanuel's own "Bridge of Quietness".
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