Objekt – CLK Recovery/ Unglued review

Sometimes records gather momentum completely of their own volition, without any kind of savvy PR campaign or well-oiled online hype. The first Objekt 12″ was one such release, carrying the seductive anonymity of a hand stamped white label and boasting two surefire techno-informed steppers.

Berlin-based TJ Hertz is the man behind the music, and there’s no denying the full-throttle propulsion of the German capital that creates such urgency on the A-Side of the new single. “CLK Recovery” warms up steadily with a mix-friendly intro that ticks away on a 4/4 beat, before a lovely Detroit jazz-lick fills the space between the beats. Alongside the rigid rhythmic devices, there’s also plenty of tasty sound design creating all manner of textures and moods, and then three minutes in the tension gets turned up to 11 and the noise falls away to an uptempo techno thump. Where the track moves into a league of its own is with the thunderous, off-beat snare hits, which vanish and reappear with maddening frequency. It’s not often you find such floor-ready bangers that also boast such dynamism in their construction.

“Unglued” is more broken from the off, as a stepping build up quickly gives way to the kind of rubbery synth malfunctions that characterised Untold’s output circa “Anaconda”. Once again things don’t stay still for long as a bumping groove gets settled into, moving through those different phases that make “CLK Recovery” so engaging, letting the various playful elements echo and distort in the mix. Another cheeky jazz refrain comes into play as the rest of the track melts away, only to maintain as another stomping beat rolls in underneath. It’s not hard to see why everyone has been going potty for these tracks; they smartly tick every box between functionality and creativity without treading on anyone else’s toes.

Oli Warwick