Spectre vinyl

Lakker's Ian McDonnell steps out with a full length album for Killekill, the Berlin-based label that's been so supportive of the Irish production unit over the past four years. Spectre is the debut Eomac set but there's a confidence to the manner in which McDonnell explores various angles of techno and the hardcore continuum within the eleven tracks that's no doubt been cultivated over the course of his work with Lakker studio partner Dara Smith. The punishing half step crunch and dystopian atmospherics of open track "Su Riddim" sets the tone, as the Eomac universe is revealed to be a place of many tempos and styles. The tense face off between heavy duty basslines, brittle broken beats and heart wrenching melodic chimes on "Forest" and the lurching drama of the title track are immediate highlights but the more time you give Spectre, the more it feels like one of the techno albums of the year.