Mote Evolver

Review: The legendary British producer Luke Slater fires up his L.B. Dub Corp alias once again. This is some of the first original material by him under this alias for the first time since 2013's magnificent Unknown Origin EP on Ostgut Ton. Deep and experimental grooves on the house tip is just one of the ways to describe this interesting side project, with Slater explaining that he wrote the tracks over the last year - between touring as Planetary Assault Systems, the LSD project (with Steve Bicknell and Function) and playing a few L.B. Dub Corp house sets - which inadvertently evolved into the material on this album. From moments of austere bounce like on the dynamic opener "Reel One", to seething factory floor dubs such as "Edge 7" (feat Aurelie Yung) and moments of slow burning hypnotism like on "Forever In A Day"- nobody quite does it like Slater.

Review: More than any other UK techno producer, Luke Slater has remained at the cutting edge. This is partly due to his ability to make forward-thinking music, but as this new series demonstrates, he also possesses an uncanny knack for pairing off with other inspired artists. "Gated" is vintage PAS material from the 90s, its distorted rhythm lent a housey bias here thanks to Ben Sims' superb remix. It's hard to believe that "Dungeon", available here in its original format, dates back to 1997, as its bleepy, tunneling groove and its 'swarm of bee' hums make for exactly the kind of hypnotic sounds that many modern producers try - and fail - to emulate. Completing this excellent release is a dry, tribal version of "Dunegon" by O [Phase] from Token.

Review: UK don Luke Slater returns with the fourth instalment of Deep Heet. The last edition released in 2012 on his esteemed Mote Evolver imprint is recognised by those that know as some of the most reliable techno tools in recent years: who can forget the sinister hypnotism of "Flat Tire": what a classic! You can bet there's yet more austere and ergonomic tracks for serious DJ use on offer here. Starting off with the driving and cyclical grunt of "Desert Races", then the tunnelling and trance inducing bell melody of "Life Rhythm" representing the A side. On the flip, the full throttle intergalactic charge of Random Kingdom and the dystopian minimalism of "Lazer Organical" which would make even Mike Parker stand up and notice! Slater is still without doubt one of the most singular talents in techno, respect!

Review: It's about time that Spain's Psyk made a return to the Mote-Evolver imprint; after all, he has been at the core of the label's development since their glory days back in the mid 00's. As expected, the gifted techno producer touches down with an absurdly effective collection of killers, first storming down with the hypnotics of "Disorder", before heading into a relentless wormhole on "Silent Witness". "Apart" opens the B-side with a rattling cascade of metallic percussion, driven forwards by acidic synths, and "Surrender" wastes no time in throwing us back into the midst of the rave, as cavernous and foreboding as humanly possible.

Review: Spanish producer Psyk first made a splash on Mote-Evolver with the Distane EP, with the Shed-like title track proving to be a big hit, while the Arcade follow up was equally impressive, and popular. So it makes sense then that Psyk's debut album lands on Luke Slater's seminal techno label. If you combine all of your favourite elements from producers like Robert Hood, Shed, Jeff Mills, and of course Luke Slate - so intricate and bubbling micro-synths, phat house chords, linear bleep sequences, and a course a lot of 909 action, you've got a bonafide techno album that is Pysk's Time Foundation.