ad.lib _ Devoted _ [Translucent028]
Hypnotic. Driving. Abstract. Sparse. Awesome. Techno.
Wicked original tracks b/w class remixes from Chris Page & Mattias Fridell (MF RMX FTW).
Taking a minute from his collaborations with Silvision, ad.lib finally finds the time for a quality solo release.
Hypnotic, sparse and driving, the two originals – Devoted 1 & Devoted 2 – weave their intricate webs in big spaces.
Sitting above a powerful groove, Devoted 1‘s delicate top develops into clattering call & response of crunchy snares. The delays and general quality of the individual sounds / pads / everything is incredible. I’ve listened to this track so many times and the way the different sounds pan around is mesmerising. Really slick production from ad.lib as usual.
The bumpin’ bass and distorted percussive hits of Devoted 2 push it forward incessantly. Excellent delay work (again), constructing grooves to get lost in. I guarantee that if you try to focus on one sound and follow it for the duration, you’ll end up severly confused. I normally reserve a special word for tune like these: Shapeshifters. It’s not something I say regularly, but this one can carry the responsibility & is, without a doubt, my favourite of the 2 originals.
Chris Page‘s remix is slung low from the get-go. It sounds properly broken until the rest of the track filters up through the static. Cool rhythms build in the hats, claps and double-hit synth. I’ve given up trying to figure which elements come from the original. The swells in his breaks are really nice.
Mattias Fridell ‘s remix is outstanding.
This man is a moving target. Impossible to pin down. It’s like listening to someone playing a storming live-set in 7 mins flat. It has his usual knack of stringing something out forever.. where it slowly evolves and builds; except this time there’s the continual addition of new elements and one-off sounds. Great music. Huge track.
Lots of support from: Advanced Human, Urbano, Monya, Nima Khak, Hironori Takahashi, Roberto, Paul Boex, Unu, Erik Tronik, Mary Velo, Mario Massaro, silvision, Unam Zetineb (UZB), Jeroen Search, Krenzlin, Kereni, Joachim Spieth, Thomas Hessler, Coeter One, Patrick Krieger.
Devoted is released on 15th August on translucent.
http://www.elektraxmusic.com/translucent028/
FINALLY: If you find yourself in Germany – ad.lib is playing in Tresor on 17th August with Iformat http://tresorberlin.com/2012/07/fr-17-08-2012-tuna-summerpark-meets-bcr-1159pm/ .
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Music production and history are my biggest passions in life.
Though people often say that Techno is faceless and should be about the music blah, blah, blah.. I believe in the need to document the people and stories behind it. Techno is a very small world in reality and I think it needs a proper resource.
I hope that everyone who is interested in Techno finds this blog accessible in terms of the way that it is written. I personally prefer to hear the artists voice as loud as the music and never enjoy synopsised and pasteurised versions of old conversation; the sort that's peppered with the occasional quote here and there.
