David Meiser – Epsilon A one bar hook plays centre stage, morphing continuously (plucked, hammered, played, organic and synthesised) as waves of intensity build and recede. Simplicity and endless variation in sound built around a measured beat.
Kereni – Mutual Gravitation Taking a deep direction and fat sound, the beats roll and snake their way through glitches and handclaps into two huge melodies at a frantic pace. Reverb, echo and delay and just a hint of acid at the breakdowns show the true depth of this piece.
Jake Conlon – Cry of the Necromancer The “cry” is a cycling whisper from the grave, slowly building in intensity and menace and overtaking the trademark hard kicks and clipped percussion that characterise Conlons productions. Fine, minimalistic, machine techno.
David Meiser – Epsilon (Louis Ray Remix) Ray puts the original through a turbocharger, winding up the bpm, widening the kicks and percussion and reworking the hook into a straight up dance floor missile with just a touch of dub.
You have no idea what is coming and it’s an absolute delight. A knocking percussion line reveals itself slowly to a frantic acid pattern. Clinical beats race onwards while the melody teases, tenses and uncoils. When you think you can’t go higher, then comes the vocal and boots it into the stratosphere.
InnerCytem - Airbag.
A soft, delicate melody climbs around shaken percussion and a booming bass/kick combo - perfect juxtaposition of beauty and power. The central melody fades in and out of cycling clicking notes and muted clashing, through a burbling, hissing break, and a gated exit. Constructed with care and devotion.
Casual Violence - Briefly Sexual (Siege Remix).
Thunderous kicks, clipped percussion and a classic 90s hook power this track frantically onward. Drawn out ethereal buzzing notes introduce stripped bleeps and a crushing, emotive vocal after the break. Underworld on very dark steroids.
Retsof - Suns
The knockout blow. A wildly pulsating bassline doesn’t let up for one second, obliterating any possible thought but the groove. Overshadowing even the punchy beats, isolated claps, chattering hats and slowly progressing atmospheric chords, this is a truly stunning piece of musical weaponry.
a1. Innercystem - King With The Beats
a2. Innercystem - Airbag
b1. Casual Violence - Briefly Sexual (Siege Remix)
Jake Conlon – Black Heath Works Chugging, battering kicks settle the melodic three note loop and form a solid bottom end. Star of the show is the frantic, high pitched chime and marauding, fizzing distortion fit to mangle the head. Tinges of acid and delay tease out the overtones and harmonics, filtered tighter and tighter and finally released, letting the groove play on, relentless and slowly morphing back to the original pattern.
Jake Conlon – Brick House Shades of Detroit in the intro, echoing, filtered percussion and a suggestion of the baseline to come. Heavy kicks and layered breakbeat obscure none of the soul, accenting and powering up the notes. Infectious percussion and glitchy melody fades in and out, setting the vibe and keeping interest high. You chase the focus, the second notes backed by a subtle, sparkling echo, was that an intake of breath?
Hoth System – Motion Detector An extraordinary percussive workout. Chattering, accented snares lead into a sparse industrial arrangement with a skipping hat keeping the pace up high. A refreshing high bass note and a perfectly restrained sub keeps pace with the pummelling kicks throughout. A track where small changes have huge impact, complexity and intelligence emerging from what at first seems simple.
Hoth System – Within an Inch The name says it all – the track is pinned to the floor by the monstrous kick and heavy, low bass bleeps. The melodic pattern has an echo of rolling birdsong, but it’s a mutant alien form unseen by human eyes, building and morphing into an acid-tinged monster. Production is astounding – each part is clear as a bell with space to spare in the mix – while incisive percussion works front and centre, marking out the phrases, accenting the breaks, winding the tension taught as a tripwire.
