Cyclic Defrost Magazine

N/A - Variance: Function, Regis and Marcel Dettmann edits (Sandwell District)

Posted: 11 May 2009 02:48 AM PDT

Techno with a capital ‘T’ seems to be claiming the space where the dying shell of minimal used to dominate, and with tracks such as these from the increasingly relevant Sandwell District that’s no bad thing. These two twelves collect three versions of ‘Variance’ by N/A (’not applicable’), apparently a deliberate ploy by Sandwell to deconstruct authorship, or in their words ‘decentralize the artist / producers ego’. Putting the ‘faceless’ back into faceless techno bollocks, then, surely no bad thing, but doesn’t then hailing the big names of those re-working it - Marcel Dettmann, Regis, and Function - undo all the good work?

All three bear the clear stamp of grey, crumbly Berghain, each a subtle variant of the other and retaining mere hints of what must be the ‘original’. Function’s contribution to the one-sided Sandwell-13 is the least distinctive, dark Tresor-ian pulses and faint dub shimmers detail a straightforward, restrained yet effective chugger. Dettmann’s take is tougher, but only just, his drums instantly recogniseable, every element dripping with moisture as though recorded in some dank dungeon. The prize however goes to Regis, opening with a broken dubstep tease before the 4/4 kicks in, or rather slides. Framed by sharp, biting rimshots, Regis’s mix is all about precarious balance, with echo running headlong into crisp attack, all beautifully rendered.

Joshua Meggitt

Point 7 - What? (Toytronic)

Posted: 10 May 2009 11:34 PM PDT

Point 7 is the Toytronic label’s founder Chris Cunningham (no, not that Chris Cunningham, the other one). His is a sound that swims in classic bleeptronica, with nods to a wide ancestory, from old-skool rave to early 21st century glitch to ambient wash to subtle dubstep. Lush and smooth, What? is the label’s first release in 4 years and seeks to re-establish a sound which it championed passionately in the decade before that.

While traversing a wide range of styles at the surface level, What? is actually remarkably cohesive, due largely to it’s use of a strictly synthetic range of timbres, with only a few brief, vocodered vocal samples or field recordings breaking from the mould. Track by track, there is much to like. ‘DNA Conflict’ is typical of the uptempo tracks with its mildly distorted drum boom, bouncing blips and counter melodic bass notes, washing synths covering these like a mid-90s Itch-e & Scratch-e. ‘Bit Loop Eddie’ eases in with some SIDchip meanderings before settling into a flanging 140bpm groove that builds in tension without letting you off the hook, until the rave chords drop in to dominate the last few minutes. ‘X Insert’ fits into an electro disguise, darkened by phasing, delayed synth stabs and the ever present bass arpeggio. The album’s central track and real highlight is ‘15th of July’, which eschews rhythm and settles into a ambience which shifts continuously from mechanical to warm to glacial to aquatic and back.

As individual tracks, each has its moments. But, as an album, it does lose me a little. That timbral focus can blend each track into the next, without any unique pieces of information reaching out and grabbing attention. The consistently minor key melodies jitter around without ever really being able to settle on anything memorable. There are hints at grit and roughness, but the production smoothes these right down to mere glimpses, keeping everything well under control and polished. And with the tracks averaging just over 6 minutes each, they are immersive but sometimes struggle to make their lengths worthwhile. As a listening suggestion, however, I found the tracks more enjoyable the louder I played them, their plastic pull gaining power as the pristine production across the sound spectrum was able to be more fully appreciated.

There is much to like on What? and listeners enamoured by mid-90s bleep aesthetics with nods to the present and the future should enjoy it greatly. I would enjoy a little more variety and a little less polish in the production, but these are definitely personal preferences.

Adrian Elmer