Transsektoral vinyl

The debut album from Barker & Baumecker has been a long time in the making, but its timing couldn't be better. With techno at a point of divergence, as producers like Untold and Blawan make the move from the UK end of the bass spectrum into straighter 4/4 fare, Transsektoral seems to offer a Berlin perspective on the same theme. Although the stark, often dramatic atmosphere is that of an Ostgut Ton record through and through, the whole thing is peppered with broken rhythms and lurching bass (see "Crows"), and even some inventive R&B sampling reminiscent of the Tri Angle family. Of course it also makes its concessions to the Berghain purists with the spluttering, acid toothed techno of "Trafo" and "Silo", or the relentless "Buttcracker" but all things considered, this is one of the most vital albums Ostgut Ton have released since The Traveller - which is high praise indeed.

Ben Sims, Ka§par, Rolando, Zade Cross, Basic Soul Unit, Juno Recommends Techno, Baldo, Nautiluss, Paul Cooper