Various - 100DSR / VAR1

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  • This EP is the first of five mini-compilations to celebrate Delsin hitting the 100 mark. The intent of the series, we're told, is to "go back to the core" of the Dutch label. Judging by the three singular takes on dub-inflected techno presented here, that core is the place where formality and idiosyncrasy meet. Claro Intelecto's "Fighting The Blind Man" is heartfelt nocturnal techno in the vein of last year's Reform Club LP. As usual, though, he manages to turn a slightly generic sound palette to compelling ends. Partly that's down to the deliciously arid synth that loops and coils in the foreground. Mainly, though, it's in the structuring: the whole thing flickers in and out of focus fluidly but haphazardly, like a 4 AM dancer with a tenuous grip on consciousness. There's something of a pre-dawn vibe to Unbroken Dub's contribution, too, its rich static-textures and spacey chords representing a mild departure from the dub techno he's explored elsewhere. Gerry Read is, on paper, the outlier here. But "Granny Bag" stands apart from the gleefully ham-fisted house of last year's Jummy. Sure, the stomping percussive loops are familiar, as are the red-raw elements at the opening. But after a couple of minutes we take a turn for techno—first with a strident, metallic synth line, then with strangled Detroit pads. It's almost as if Read is opening up a dialogue with Delsin's techno heritage.
  • Tracklist
      A Claro Intelecto - Fighting The Blind Man B1 Gerry Read - Granny Bag B2 Unbroken Dub - Spacing
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