Review: Reclaim Your City has over 10 years' experience in bringing together like-minded artists, but even for a label of its pedigree, this is an inspired pairing. Steve Rachmad aka Sterac is one of Europe's most accomplished techno producers. When it comes to deep, esoteric sounds, his 90s Secret Life of Machines album is a peerless work. However, on this occasion, Rachmad opts for force over depth. "Muff Case" is a lean, angular rhythm, powered by steely percussion. While "Strike Icer" resounds to dramatic chords, it too is fuelled by a relentless groove. Token boss Kr!z follows a similar approach on "Sorcerer", where doubled-up claps and deft filters support a driving rhythm. On the title track, he opts for a less intense approach, with frequency-shifting bleeps unfolding over a tight minimal backing.
Review: Token has sensibly made all of the tracks from Kr!z debut commercial mix available in an unmixed format. The Belgian label has put out a wide range of music, and its owner represents its diversity well on this selection. With the inclusion of Xhin's twisted, abstract rhythms, the plaintive ambience of Inigo Kennedy's 'Obsidian' and Surgeon's electro take on Grovskopa's "Sex & Violins", the compilation shows the label's reflective side. However, Token is first and foremost a dance floor label and Introspective includes the insane drones of Ctrl's "Sockets", Rodhad's spooky "Spomeniks", the glacial trance of Inigo Kennedy's "Cathedral" and the deranged tonal assault that is Makaton's "Endless Revolt".
Review: While Kr!z originally made his name through DJing and running the seminal Token label, increasingly he is becoming known as a producer. This release on James Ruskin's Blueprint serves as a reminder of his skills; "Vortex" and "Mirage" are searing minimal techno workouts, powered by an expertly weighted combination of raw analogue tones and rasping percussion. On "Neutrino Systems", he ups the intensity levels to deliver a Millsian peak-time track, led by a looped, visceral riff and a relentless rhythm, while "Levitate" is an insistent minimal stomper that keeps on building - making a fitting finale to this fine, hard-hitting release.
Review: Kr!z follows his 2019 debut by teaming up with the like-minded Pfirter for this no-nonsense split release. Kr!z drops the pounding "Imperative Needs", where rattling chain mail percussion underpins relentless tonal bleep sequences. Meanwhile on "Malice", the Token boss delivers a galloping groove that acts as the basis for a series of droning electronic riffs - it sounds like an early 90s Plus 8 track on steroids. Pfirter goes harder and heavier with "Tomorrow", where pummelling kick drums underpin a firing steel-plated rhythm, while rounding off this peak-time EP are the dense claps and pulsating, dubbed out chords of "Purification".
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