Raudive – Paper EP review

Oliver Ho has been making standout house and techno for over ten years now. As he continues to develop his sound under his Raudive moniker, he drops the experimental and unique yet wonderfully intriguing “Paper” EP on Macro.

Throughout those years, we have seen a variety of styles from Ho, from the deep tribal sound of his Universal album to the abstract sound of Veil, while his funkier house sound also seeped through under his Birdland project. But it is as Raudive that he blends all these style and ideas into one place. Last year’s “Cone” EP under the moniker was a huge success for Macro, who quickly established him as an important player within their family. Now he returns to the imprint to deliver one of their most club orientated, yet distinctively forward thinking EPs yet.

After the percussive, eerie intro of the title track, a subterranean rolling bassline opens up as he takes the tribal sound of his releases and morphs it into a slower, deeper minimal sound that fuses the funk of house and the electronics of techno. Haunting strings scratch over the top, building this strange atmosphere that is then intensified by the injection of power into the beat. It is a truly unique track that bends a sound of its own into a bona fide club tune. “Brittle” takes hypnotism to the next level. Its relentless, repetitious and manic vexation patterns blow you away amid pounding beats and short blasts of vocal loops. “Sienna” winds things down with an experimental vibe that is totally devoid of a beat. Melodic strings play out above the warmth of grainy crackles in this masterpiece.

Review: Tom Jones