Cosmin TRG – Vertigo / Sommer review

And so it continues. Cosmin ‘TRG’ Nicolae’s evolution as an artist has at times seemed like a condensed history of electronic music in reverse. From jungle, bass and break beat to house, electro and techno and now what sounds like his take on Detroit techno, the Romanian could never be accused of standing still.

This refusal to succumb to inertia would mean little if every stylistic shift heralded little more than a nod to ingrained narratives and approaches. However, the real beauty of Cosmin’s music is that each realignment brings with it a wealth of idiosyncrasies, be it a familiar vocal snippet on his house releases for Rush Hour or now this unusual interpretation of deeper techno.

The title track’s intro doesn’t suggest that Cosmin has plans to worship at the altar of Derrick May or Carl Craig, as it starts with the chime of bells and the whirr of abstract percussion. Suddenly however, a dreamy chord sequence floats in, but it doesn’t sound typical thanks to the slightly off beats –  a throwback to his recent past-  and the rolling snares that have more in common with hard mid-90s German techno and some excellent pitch bent hats. “Sommer” features a similar chord sequence, but Cosmin is quick to double it up, couple it with crashing snares and a delay that gives the arrangement a dynamism that is the common characteristic in his artistically schizophrenic body of work.

Richard Brophy

Tracklisting:

1. Vertigo
2. Sommer