Submerge – Black Mamba EP review

Artist: Submerge
Title: Black Mamba
Label: Mote Evolver
Genre: Techno
Format: 12″, Digital
Buy From: Juno Records, Juno Download

Submerge lands a new two track EP on Luke Slater’s Mote Evolver imprint. The “Black Mamba” EP introduces two of the dark and tweaky tracks that have brought the Chi town native to the attention of  today’s techno scene.

Mote-Evolver has been on a fine run of form of late. Recent releases from the likes of Cari Lekebusch, Ortin Cam and Samuli Kemppi’s excellent “Dark Matter” EP are still fresh in the memory and have subsequently raised the expectation levels for every release that follows on the label. Those levels increase even more when the producer is one of the most exciting to come out of the USA in recent years. Having built a reputation as an eclectic and innovative producer, and fresh from the success of his “2012” EP on his own Impact Mechanics label, Submerge now pushes his fresh techno sound further with “Black Mamba”.

The title track is an adrenalin fuelled, full throttled techno jauggernaught that gets the release underway with a bang. Bristling with energy and intensity, the track builds amid pounding beats, pulsing acid stabs and manic phaser FX from outer space. It is heads down stuff for peak time sets, sure to blow the heads off anyone who hears it. B Side, “J-XX” is not as emphatic but every bit as powerful. Crunching beats and swashing FX create a rawness that compliments the groove to perfection. Constantly building, the track grows and grows with each bar, mutating itself into an angry and fierceful climax.

Review: Tom Jones