JUAAN Vinyl & CDs

Review: Argentinian hotshot, Juaan, lands on Art Of Dark with his debut release on the label, holding to the ominous position, "man has reason to fear". Over five tried and tested dancefloor cuts, this is one of those EPs that marks and projects a foreboding sense-state in the listener. Of course, to dance is to be, in a sense, "unsettled". Inauspicious long-release 909s and indecipherably tubed vocals (heard on 'El Primer Dia Del Resto De Mi Vida') account for a barely held-together but turbulent future, in which music is moribund and bands don't play no more.

Review: Juaan's debut on Kalahari Oyster Cult channels the Argentinian producer's ability to merge gritty, hypnotic house and electro with an unmistakable dark edge. With these four cuts, he expertly navigates a sonic landscape where urgency and allure coexist in perfect harmony. 'O Bianco O Negro' opens with a deep, rolling bassline, leading into acidic bursts and sharp percussive hits. It's a track that demands the dancefloor's attention, moody and relentless. 'Ladron' takes a slightly more sinister turn, with rumbling synths and a touch of tension, while still maintaining Juaan's fluid, dancefloor-driven momentum. Over on the B-side, 'Puntual' drops into an intricate mesh of stuttering rhythms and hypnotic arpeggios, perfect for those late-night sessions. Closing with 'Apego,' he draws the EP to a close with a darkly seductive groove, laced with eerie atmospheres and an unyielding forward motion. Informed by 90s influences but firmly grounded in the present, the EP delivers the kind of atmospheric, high-octane dancefloor heat that's made Juaan a standout talent in the underground scene. It's dark, sleek and perfectly calibrated for the dancefloorian intoxicating blend of funked-out futurism and dystopian allure.