Review: Christian Wunsch, a veteran of revered imprints such as Pole Group, Sheep and Theory, now joins the ranks of Clergy. Fans of streamlined, heads-down techno will find much to love here: at the heart of this four-tracker are pounding, concrete-weight kicks that support additional elements, such as a filtered rave riff on "Brain Disorder". Similarly, "Dysfunctional" sees the Spanish producer add some mesmerising steely riffs, while on "Tearing You Apart", rabid electronic riffs are sprayed over a heads-down rhythm. While Abnormal Behaviour is not the most subtle release, it would be hard to find a better functional techno release.
Review: London based producer Reflec is up next on Cleric's Clergy imprint after a run of great releases on the likes of Lobster Theremin, Dyad and Pacific Command. The pounding and furious peak time energy of "Acid Response" would make even legends like Hardfloor or Emmanuel Top stand up and notice - once they hear its cavernous 303 squelch. Utilizing the sounds of texture and field recordings on the bold and functional "Osmosis", it comes complete with some seriously steely rhythm patterns and was our pick of the bunch here. Honourable mentions also to the Berghain ready bounce of "Canyon" which will mix in well with your MORD or Token records. You also get treated to a broken and fierce Surgeon style version of the track up next. Real name Sean Dodds, he first appeared on Clergy with the Rite Of Passage EP in 2016 and has gone on to collaborate with Cleric on the Works Unit imprint, also launched last year.
Review: Kmyle is an emerging techno producer from France, and his style sounds at home on Cleric's label. First up is "1000"; it's a bleep-heavy, grimy techno track that is centred on a driving rhythm but also features ghostly synths rising up through the arrangement. The addition of some builds and drops make it a dynamic affair. By contrast, "Silent Society" is a deep, rolling track that revolves around crisp break beats and atmospheric effects. While it might at first seem light for Clergy's style, repeated listens reveal its powerful percussion and tight, supple rhythm. There is so such ambiguity on "Bell Departures"; as its title suggests, it features bells - a cacophony of them if truth be told - ringing over a rolling, relentless rhythm. It's an impressive opening salvo from Kmyle.
Review: Reflec is the latest producer to sign up to the Clergy label. Run by UK producer Cleric, it has so far released a record from Dax J - as well as material from its owner - and seems intent on bringing some thought back to peak time techno. This approach is certainly evident on Passage. "Fracture" sees Reflec provide an updated version of Luke Slater at his most visceral - albeit with some ghostly organ riffs added in - while on "Cult", there is a nod towards the concrete weight kicks of SP-X and Oscar Mulero. On "Passage", a less bombastic sound prevails, with Reflec deploying a wiry, snaking rhythm and tight claps. The biggest shift comes right at the end, with a 90's ambient sounding take on "Passage".
Review: Two British purveyors of powerful peak time techno collaborate on this fine collection of DJ friendly tools. Comprised of Dax J: the man behind the notorious Monnom Black and Clergy main man Cleric: who some of you would know from his appearances on Len Faki's Figure.They've joined up for this release in their new home, the techno capital that is Berlin. Sheer dancefloor fury; warehouse style, on offer here as heard on the relentless title track. The power of nightmares prevails on the bleak dystopian industrial of "Flight 19", and the steely and adrenalised grooves continue on "The Triangle" and "Sirius".
Review: Berlin's Dax J couldn't be more Clergy if he tried. Yes, the native Londoner deals in precisely the sort of brand of techno that the imprint is looking for, and a tune like "Purist", with its wormhole of a bassline and stripped-back percussion, is instantly recognisable as being part of the whole Berlin sound; check "Understate" and you'll see that this same structure is transformed into something nastier and more penetrating. The B-side contains another two slices of neural brain dynamite, the first being the stuttering, paranoid beat attack that is 'Warp", followed by the looser, more beatless sway of "Slip From Sanity".
Review: Jorden Hodgetts is the producer behind the Cleric project, but there is nothing pious or precious on offer here. Indeed, the opposite is true and he ends up making an unholy racket. "2nd Limit" revolves around a pounding kick drum and an industrial/EBM-style vocal exhorting the listener to 'let the beat control your body'. "Formation" is even more intense thanks to razor-sharp percussion, stomping drums and bleeding acid lines, while "Side FX" adheres to a similar style thanks to its dark 303s and grungy bass. By the time the listener gets to the static interference and white noise of "Control", it feels like sweet relief.
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