- Dario Zenker, who co-founded and runs Ilian Tape with his brother Marco, has a funky, detailed take on techno that somehow belies how driving it is: he's able to move masses without ever having to hit anyone over the head. After turning in a fine collaboration with his brother, one of the least tough-sounding tough guys in the game returns on Ilian Tape with the 6 Unlimited Lights EP, which makes for neither a major step forward nor a disappointment.
Zenker tends to work in layers, and his best moments come when those layers combine unexpectedly. He achieves this on "Give 6," which swells to the point of bursting without ever actually popping. The undeniably Drexciyan "Unlimited Love" begins intriguingly, toying with the strictly-4/4 formula we may have been expecting, but unfortunately it just misses the mark: a stabby hook that draws us in early grows a bit tiresome over seven-plus minutes, no matter the myriad ways Zenker finds to mix up the arrangement. "Light" places wispy, ever-thickening dub chords over a rumbling bassline, a subtle tactic that's likely to raise the pressure in even the largest rooms Zenker encounters. While it may not be a huge standout release for artist or label, there's certainly plenty here to sink your teeth into.
Tracklist A Unlimited Love
B1 Light
B2 Give 6