With a constant slew of quality releases Jorden Hodgetts has not only become in demand internationally, but keeps holding a vital spot on the Figure roster. His unyielding tracks as Cleric proudly wear their Manchester heritage on the sleeve, and this bold EP makes no exception.
Exploring various angles of the city's musical lineage, Cleric creates a sound scape that seems industrial and yet futuristic. As broken and straight rhythms repeatedly alternate over the course of this record, the mixes implicate both force and elegance, thanks to clever pacing and immaculate sound design.
Whether it be narrow, bleeping stompers, epic wide-screen breakdowns or intricately assembled percussion - across this fresh and dynamic EP Cleric further sharpens his profile, not only revealing his roots but even more importantly his individual vision.
Figure SPC inevitably arrives at the alphabet's last letter and therefore the end of what has been a most prosperous runtime and success story.
Already accountable for its first release 'A' seven years ago, Jeroen Search has proven essential to the sublabel's course with his many cornerstone contributions. This final, special extended release grants him the ample scope to tell the closing chapter in all proper detail.
Spread across two fully packed 12"s the Dutch veteran producer wastes no time but lets his ever evolving array of machines do the talking. They speak in many tones - be it snappy or propelling, vivid or restrained, stomping or intricate - yet they all retain Search's consistently singular voice. Each of the nine tracks was composed as a live take, with elements being reduced to the utmost minimum but always carrying the kinetic energy onto the next bar. Thus this ultimate catalogue number SPCZ not only bears witness to an artist's impressive ability to reliably distill the pure essence of a groove. It is also the grand conclusion to an esteemed series that has become a staple in many DJ's bags, brought forth plenty of future classics and left its unmistakable mark on techno.
Crafty, refined and irresistibly moving, this record is sure to be stirring up dancers around the globe.
A regular contributor to Figure SPC, it was Jeroen Search who both started the series and also put an end to its story. With this creative chapter neatly closed, he is now bringing his ever-impressive work back to the main label. Across the EP the Dutch artist doesn’t stick to one style, instead he lets his infamous machines roam about freely. They take us for a smooth ride along swaying dub chords and gentle ripples until bellowing eches slowly rise above a hypnotic groove.?On the B-side Search then pulls out all the stops and barges right in with fidgety claps and whirling bleeps, leaving the track itself gasping for air. This is the renowned ferocity of his live act - carved into wax! Ensuing the sonic assault, a simple synth figure emerges stoically over an almost housy bounce as nostalgic rave strings bring the EP to an epic ending. Firmly rooted in the past while always looking forward, Jeroen Search clearly is still on the top of his game. He simply keeps coming up with timeless techno - time and time again.
Originally released as a B-side in 2007 on Figure's then-sublabel Podium, Len Faki's ‚My Black Sheep' was one of those rare tracks that unpredictably take on a life of their own. A veritable underground hit, it not only came to define the sound of Len Faki at that time but for many became equally synonymous with the state of the scene in Berlin around that time. Now that ten years have passed since then, we felt it was about time to finally treat the sheep to a fresh shave.
Featuring a variety of vibes, Deetron first takes us for an extended trip along rattling drums, his mantra-like use of the vocal drawing the listener deep into the rabbit hole. Down there things start swirling even more wildly around Jimmy Edgar's marimba arps, while Truncate forcefully slaps us back on track.
On the deeper flip side Cleric unexpectedly lays down a distorted barrage of broken beats amidst apocalyptic epic choirs and acid rain. Through the haunted shelters beneath the rubble Matrixxman weaves his subtle and dubbed out yet creepingly effective Isolation Mix. Coming as a digital-only bonus is Cleric's straightforward Y remix - its hard- hitting metallic stabs making for a powerful floor-weapon.
While ‚My Black Sheep' already spawned a series of high-profile re-interpretations back in the day, this diverse remix- package successfully places the original within the present context. With this creative cut, the sheep is now ready for another decade's run!
a1. My Black Sheep ( Deetron Remix)
a2. My Black Sheep ( Jimmy Edgar & Truncate Remix)
Figure is excited to present the first outing of what might soon prove to be one of techno's most promising collaborations. While Seatoc Mass' two pristinely crafted EPs have already left their mark on the label, Matrixxman has been turning heads across the scenes with his exceptionally prolific track record.
Drawing upon common thoughts on futuristic themes and their respective strengths as producers from different continents, their joint effort clearly conveys one distinct approach, yet unites the seemingly opposite. Regardless of being no-nonsense dancefloor-weapons, the four tracks still brim with detail, their vibrant elements communicating playfully.
On their shared EP these artists have struck a rare balance. They delicately hover between the spacious and the claustrophobic, the modern and the classic, the stern and the elated - while never losing focus of their mutual mission.
Following up on his exceptional 12″ debut Numb (Figure 73) earlier this year, Seatoc Mass delivers another EP of finely tuned and highly diversified techno deep space explorations. Starting on an atmospheric note, Cipher’s intricate melody winchingly twists its way under your skin while airy breakbeats faintly hint at the producer’s UK roots. In contrasting fashion the bleep- driven Lost Lakes sticks to its metronomic stomp, making for a simple yet utterly effective tool. Choral howls and detuned synths merge on Transform for a gentle yet trance-inducing introduction to the flipside. Emotive highlight Rain then sees the Manchester producer sonically recreate a thundering storm, complete with flashing strokes of lightning and a downpour of celestial scale. The breakbeat returns on closer Flying Buttress, albeit now at much faster tempo, exploring the common ground between futuristic grime and techno. Blending all these different styles and their distinctive tropes in a coherent statement is a feat not easily accomplished. Yet here Seatoc Mass pulls it off again, developing further the confines of both his personal and the label’s sound.
A year after his extremely versatile debut EP for Figure, Viers comes out with another batch of tunes that again set him apart from his peers both in production value and creativeness. Touching on the tropes of classic detroit techno, Saxton presents a beautifully delicate opening track, rife with life from within the machines while still steadily thumping ahead. It’s the mix of this vital momentum together with a certain restraint, allowing each element to breath. So much that even the slightest adjuments cause maximum effectmetro, as felt on suitably titled stomper “Nothing Changed” where everything hits in exactly the right place. Same goes for the incessant dialogue of tones on “Zehn", which Sigha expands into a pensive piece, layering soothing washes of synths. Not only an exceptional EP in its own right, Figure 85 further cements Viers as a skilled craftsman with seemingly endless imagination.
