- According to Discogs, it's been a decade since Aroy Dee has used the moniker M>O>S. While the reasons behind the project's revival may be unclear, Dee's trademark sense of melancholy continues to shine through on this debut release for Steffi's Dolly imprint. It is, however, subtly different from recent 12-inches under his birth name. There's a futuristic—or perhaps retro-futuristic—sheen that wasn't so obvious before. "Belfast" best exemplifies this, channelling a dreary Blade Runner-type mood via piercing pads and rubbery bass chords. Their presence is near-constant, so unusually, it's the percussion which ebbs and flows, rather than the melody. Constantly pulsing in volume, trembling hats and clusters of barking claps impart a chaotic sense of rhythm. It almost sounds like a grittier and less dramatic version of Steve Moore's "Beyond Tyken's Rift."
In "Lost Digits," monolithic kicks and claps stretch upwards like skyscrapers, Dee's chords roiling around their bases as if a sweeping, city-wide fog. Naturally, the details are obscured under this cover, with several discrete synth lines converging into a larger and more emotive mass. Marcel Fengler's remix distills these elements down to a precise, elegant slice of techno. The Berghain resident wouldn't seem the most obvious remixer in this case, but his old-school-inspired effort feels entirely natural. Though the foggy chords are much the same, Fengler's raspy percs thrust continually through them, like a speeding train. "Insolence" is the most introspective of the bunch, making room for long tails of reverb amongst its fuzzy, winding synths and tough snare strikes. It's also the hookiest. Sad bloops and bleeps plod across its surface, feeling wistful in that particular Aroy Dee way.
Tracklist A1 Lost Digits
A2 Belfast
B1 Lost Digits (Marcel Fengler Emersion Mix)
B2 Insolence