Fizic Romania Vinyl & CDs

Review: The fourth release on Cosmin TRG's label sees the Romanian producer stray farther from normal techno tropes with devastating effect. The title track resonates to a rickety drum pat-tern and a skeletal rhythm, but it's the spooky textures that surround these elements that make it sound so unusual. On "Serpentio", he goes even weirder. At its heart is a clanging rhythm that wanders in and out of time. Aligned to this are tracts of pitch-bent percussion and a weird vocal sample, all of which combine to make "Serpentio" the weirdest piece of dance floor techno to be released in quite a while.

Review: Five months on from the release of double A-side single Oblic/Serpenti - described by Juno reviewers as "the weirdest piece of dancefloor techno we've heard in a while" - Cosmic TRG has decided to get the tracks remixed. Lucy handles the decidedly skewed and out-there "Serpenti", incorporating many of the Romanian producer's unusual elements whilst re-formatting it for less experimental techno dancefloors (in other words, it's got a crusty but rock solid 4/4 beat pattern). In contrast, Minor Science's flipside remix of "Oblic" re-casts the original as a punchy, stargazing chunk of electro-techno fusion. While there's plenty going on in the mix, it's the rhythmic intensity of the drum patterns that shines through.

Review: Following almost a year of studio silence, Cosmin Nicolae returns with two stunning techno tracks."Uzura" is the darkest, most abrasive music that the Romanian prodcuer has released. Drums pound frenetically, the rhythm is plunged down a soot-caked wind tunnel and the end result is a track so frenetic and extreme that it makes everything else he has done seem understated. Even "Vitriol" doesn't have the same clout. Like "Uzura", it too is caked in a grimy coat, but is slower and more teased. That said, the gurgling acid lines and intense, modulating climaxes ensure that it is Nicolae's most visceral record to date.

Review: The nicest man in techno aka Cosmin TRG is the latest to take the reins as label head with this 12" signalling the start of what we hope is a long and fruitful release schedule for Fizic. Taking inspiration from the name of his 50Weapons release from 2011, Fizic is being treated a rite of passage for Niculae and a platform to push his own creative boundaries. This debut 12? features two tracks, "Repetitiv" and "Vernacular" and sets a high bar for Niculae, narrowing on the hypnotic and texturally dense strand of percussive techno that the Cosmin TRG sound has been gravitating towards over recent years. Our tip is the granite-heavy, unhinged B Side here - more please Mr Niculae.