Portal Vinyl & CDs

Review: Portal ends the year with a delightfully well-crafted and deliciously deep techno long player from Acaera. It opens up in dubbed-out and stripped-back fashion with supple rolling rhythms way down below the most deft of pads. 'Anaesthesia' brings some fizzing static electricity to the mix but the mood remains foggy and bleak in beautiful ways then 'Learned Behaviour' brings a little more thump to the low end but the atmosphere remains sparse. 'Forella' is a dub techno cruiser that floats on airy breaks and 'Reorientation' shuts down with three-plus minutes of eerie ambiance.

Review: Spacey techno should almost be a sub-genre today with the amount of influence the genre has. Well, this album takes the cake with production that is equal to the description. A true journey through spacey ambient techno, with each track showcasing his signature style of blending atmospheric soundscapes with deep, driving rhythms. The EP opens with 'Critical Functions', a celestial ambient intro that the expansive journey ahead. 'Haumea' follows with a tight beat and swirling atmosphere, pushing deep techno into hypnotic territory. 'Sidequest' continues this cosmic exploration, with sparse, eerie elements creating a vast, dense sound. On the second side, 'Unbound' ramps up the tempo while maintaining a melodic, ambient feel. The soothing yet energizing beat provides a perfect balance between calm and rush, a great example at Fernie's ability to craft emotive soundscapes. The EP closes with 'Critical Functions (Ness Vision),' a well-produced remix that brings flighty, uplifting sounds to the forefront, delivering a more intense, high-energy finish. Overall, this release from the Scottish producer is a great combination of ambient textures and deep, melodic techno.