Techno Recommendations May 2012

Review: Shifted's identity has remained somewhat of a mystery in 2012, but crucially, he does not come from the small coterie that has dominated UK techno over the past twenty years. Like the signature image he uses, a grey, shadowy creature creeping through a snowy forest, his infiltration of the sound has been stealthy and understated. In many ways, his lack of connection with techno, his automatic outsider status, has allowed him to effect an entrance into a hitherto new terrain. Like his releases on Mote Evolver and his own Avian imprint, Crossed Paths tingles and fizzes with an atmospheric sensibility that monochrome techno often lacks. All of this is made possible by his distinctive sound design; intricate and subtle, yet at the same time both functional and multi-faceted, where all of these divergent paths cross, you'll find Shifted.

Review: Clearly the Swiss duo Echo 106 have spent the period subsequent to their illuminating contribution to a Mathematics 12" compilation holed up in their Brunnen studio working their box of tricks to the max. In a week where they make a full debut on Jamal Moss' label, Echo 106 also grace the perma excellent Lux Rec with Winter Music - perhaps the best looking vinyl package out this week. Comprised of both archival material and new tracks, this release spreads six arrangements that explore musically the snow swept soundscapes of their mysterious homeland across a 12" and accompanying dinky 7". Fans of disjointed analogue forest techno frosted with glacial incandescence should investigate.

Review: Having firmly found his groove with UK labels such as 2nd Drop and Fourth Wave, Gerry Read's latest EP sees that further notch in his ascendancy as he gets snapped up by Dutch institution Delsin to kick off their new house-orientated series. Stylistically, the four tracks on this new EP continue the mission statement Read has already laid out; there's a claustrophobic quality to lead track "Yeh Come Dance", that finds a cacophony of wooden percussion and angular vocal loops sweating all over each other while the hi-hats leer on drunkenly. As something of a contrast, the beat in "Crawlspace" is decidedly straight by these standards, letting the sequencing of the drum machine call more of the shots before too much wayward sample placing can send the rhythm askew. It doesn't take much to see the jazzy quality in Read's music, but "Bozza" perhaps marks the first instance where this quality has been capitalised on and fully realised. In that sense it marks something of a progression for the young beatsmith, as the complex arrangement of brushed drums, piano and other sonic debris aim for a place other than that usual seedy corner of the dancefloor. "Crooked" rounds off the EP with by distilling all these feelings into one track of strung out strangeness, where the groove is borrowed from garage and then robbed of its innocence, with an underlying bed of mean-spirited audio fragments. As with all the GR output it's evocative stuff, and reminds you that this EP marks not just consistency but also progress for the plucky producer.

Review: It would be easy and unforgivably lazy to lump Claro's work in with the great unwashed of deep/dub techno. While Reform Club does sparkle and shimmer with epic strings, ghostly reversed chords and dreamy synths, it's the interplay between these elements and Stewart's unpredictable rhythmic dalliances that make his third album so rewarding. "Reformed" is a case in point: glassy percussion and sensuous string passages suggest an adept take on classic Detroit techno, but the underlying, resonating bass depicts an artist highlighting flaws and imperfections. In a similar vein is "It's Getting Late", where evocative chords unfold over a quirky bassline and the raw, Aardvarck-esque beats and breathy melodies of "Scriptease". But it's the tracks where Stewart appears to be sharing his own personal experiences that have the greatest impact. The atmospheric, chiming synths of "Still Here" has the same underlying sadness that Stewart articulated so beautifully on Metanarrative and the whistling sounds and serene ambience of "Quiet Life" elevate Stewart to the same level as great musical storytellers like Mark Hollis and Ian Curtis. The fact that be can bare his soul and document deeply personal topics without resorting to words makes his voice all the more powerful.

Review: Laurent Garnier began the LBS (Live Booth Sessions or Loud Bass & Samples) concept in 2010, as a means of experimenting with live techniques. The crew incorporates Garnier himself, as well as Benjamin Rippert on keyboards and Scan X on machines. The Timeless EP begins with "Jacques In The Box" delivering a full-impact slice of techno sprinkled with surging synthesisers and climbing polyphonic key strokes. The percussion seems to melt into one element as the kick drum drives this fast, hard and slightly euphoric techno jam. Loud Disco's mix of "Our Futur" will surely capture the ears of any large crowd caught in the reverie of a darkened nightclub, with a notable chord progression and sharp, saturated snare drum.

Review: There's some po-faced minimalism to be found on the third offering from Avian. A debut appearance from AD/S heads straight for the monochrome thud of a pounding kick, offset by very delicate cicadas of percussion and just a faint whisper of melody. Sigha gets a cheeky soca kind of snare into the mix on his version, which creates a bizarre carnival techno flavour. That leaves it to Ventress to get slightly broken on his remix, breaking up that thudding kick and sprinkling some haunting magic in the shape of distant, forlorn pads, creating the most atmospheric cut on the 12".

Review: Three releases deep and Elastic Dreams are clearly a compelling addition to the latest permutation in Bristol's ever bubbling electronic music community, lending a stripped back techno angle to the already well documented bass and house movements. Having established the label's stance via the first two releases, Elastic Dreams boss A Sagitarium steps aside here and allows Sheffield based DJ / producer Nyra a chance in the spotlight. Already established to a degree with releases from Fear of Flying, Logistik, Freude Der Famille and Never Learnt under his belt, Nyra adopts a raw, basement shuffle on opening track "Uni 10" swiftly locking onto the sort of gulping bass line and heavy kicks that are suitable deep into the night. It's tempting to say there's an air of Skudge to the track, something that the label clearly saw too, as Elastic Dreams have commissioned the wall-rattling Swedish duo to remix the track, somehow stripping proceedings down further in consummate fashion.

Review: Canadian duo and former Juno Plus interviewees Orphx provide their fourth EP for Adam X's label, and in the process muddy the waters. Preceding releases on the label saw Oddie and Sealey extricate themselves from their industrial approach and focus instead on their own vision - and a bleak one at that - of club techno. On this occasion however, the lines are blurred. "Cut Through" does have the same kind of cold, detached bleeps that made "Black Light" such a malevolently addictive listen, but they unfold over a broken beat and razor sharp percussion. The key difference becomes clear as the track progresses; while the other EPs had a clean, austere sound, the introduction of a murderous, distorted bassline on "Through" makes it messier, more abrasive and like a halfway house between the Sonic Groove releases and their work for Hands. Up next, there is no such ambiguity; "Devourer" is based on twisted, tangled rhythms and fuzzy, feedback-filled sub bass lingering with intent in the background. "Preta Loka" meanwhile offers some relief; again, the rhythm is dense and off beat, but the way that the ghostly chord sequence unfolds over the seething mass of fury means it wouldn't have sounded out of place on Radiotherapy. "Hunger" sounds like Orphx wanted to choose between the club and their natural habitat and decided this time to head back into darkness.

Review: Japan's Imugem Orhasam has been releasing varied and quality music since 2009, and it continues with his new EP on Nsyde Recordings. "Gleam From Distant Gate" has laser beams firing through a hammering techno beat, as soft synth stabs gently creep forward, adding drive to the entire rhythm. "Misty Evening" transports us into the low-end driven depths of dub techno; the bass line plods along, infecting every inch of your chest cavity with low frequencies. Delightful hi-hats and reverberated pads make this a deep and dubby jam. "Kotoni" is a further departure from the rest of the record, as delicate strings and glistening synths showcase Orihasam's ability to make a well composed piece of atmospheric music. Highly recommended.