Cooked Ukraine Vinyl & CDs

Review: Techno troubadour Yan Cook has a fine discography on some of the most respected labels out there. Now he heads to Ukraine's Cooked, a young but perfectly formed imprint, and kicks off his EP with 'Blades,' which is all melon twisted synths and driving techno kicks. 'Whistleblower' then slips into a deeply atmospheric groove with gurgling bass and watery effects and 'Grom' is all about the swing in the drums. Gritty textures and insistent claps add to the thrill of it all and 'Skyhigh' is a more frosty dub techno cut that leaves out breathless.

Review: Ukraine's Yan Cook has been at the forefront of techno in Ukraine for some time. He works in the dubbier end of the spectrum and brings more great weight to this one on his label, Cooked. 'Equinox' is an early evening mood builder that twists and turns through smeared synths and grainy lo-fi grooves. 'Syzygy' is more loopy and hard-hitting with mind-melting percussion over the cavernous low end. 'Monsoon' is as urgent as a call to action from a battalion leader on the front line and 'Headspin' is just that - a more frenzied and wonky cerebral workout for the dizzy 5 am sessions.