Cosmin TRG – Separat review

This Romanian producer has stood at the crossroads between dubstep, funky and techno, but on the evidence of this release, it sounds like he is gravitating towards the older style. Of course, it’s not that simple and never should be when attempting to categorise artistic endeavour. Context is everything and Cosmin takes reference from and is inspired by his previous releases. It explains why “Separat”, though featuring granite weight beats, surging filtered chords and chain mail percussive elements – all of which would be likely to push even the most powerful sound system to its limits – still has a certain swing to it, a lack of rigidity that, when played alongside many contemporary releases, will sound positively liquid.

Cosmin brings the same qualities to bear on “Izolat”. Although it’s slower than “Separat”, there is no doubting its efficacy; similar chord filtering is evident, anchored by thundering claps and eerie strings. However, none of this can prepare the listener for the wall of noisy bass that Cosmin unleashes midway through and which makes all the other elements sound dwarf like by comparison. There has been way too much talk about the dubstep-techno or techno-funky crossovers; this is the record that finally reconciles the 4/4 sound with the power of bass music.

Richard Brophy