Oscar Mulero _ Black Propaganda _ WU31 [ALBUM REVIEW]

Deep, dark and pounding – OM’s 2nd album totally deserves your attention. The original intent may have been to explore the drone sector of techno, but as you might expect, the abrasive rhythms in his DNA are never far from the surface.

This long player takes a different approach from his previous club focused productions. Black Propaganda concentrates on deeper, darker territories of techno with intensely deconstructed industrial rhythms. This is complimented throughout with a thick atmosphere of discord.  The album is brilliant, showcasing the controlled sound design that once more proves Mulero’s technical expertise. If the album title reflects a general world wariness, undoubtedly the track names themselves could be about the ineptitude of  governments and contempt for mass media. Fittingly, the modern production is often stark and digital.

The Dirt provides a rich canvas of exploratory drone with dubby echoes; that lead you to believe this album is dark and deeply intuitive.  It’s not until the next track  Instant Widespread of the Dirt that you begin to familiarise yourself with the rough grooves we’ve come to expect from the Madrid born producer.

Its a welcome development in Mulero’s sound – a nice departure from the IDM influences of his last album – Grey Fades to Green. There’s an obvious continuity in the production here; it’s just that the processes have been approached slightly differently. Two of my favourites are Disinformation and To Convince for the Untruth. Are they hypnotic? Yes – But this ain’t just a trip, its a fucking ride. Pure filth.

The album is laced in reverb and a countless number of his distinctive patterns. Bitcrushers are responsible for so much urgency. Inaccurated Information is a perfect example of this and it’s actually classic Mulero – just with a modern twist. Theres a great balance between the loopier techno sound meeting the modern abstract here – but its in the fine detail where they meet that the listener gets an indication of the sheer amount of craft behind these productions.

Combined with the lush pads of the beatless tracks, Mulero pulls together something special that any fan of industrial dub-techno will thoroughly enjoy.

http://www.oscarmulero.com/

http://www.juno.co.uk/products/black-propaganda/461351-01/

http://www.junodownload.com/products/black-propaganda/2003940-02/

 

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