- Ensydan is a new label project from Ajtim, a London-based Italian producer also known as Survex. For Faynot, the label's first release, Ajtim presents two originals along with remixes from Northern Structures, Mike Parker and Svreca. For many listeners, that trio of established names will be a selling point, but Ajtim holds his own with "Notime" and "Fay." Set around 120 BPM, both tracks have an approach to techno that's more restrained than most, but no less menacing. (If you like Samuel Kerridge's subtle yet sinister style, this stuff could be for you.) "Notime"'s half-time pulse is slowly surrounded by soft percussive tapping, light drones and eerie bits of barely-there noise. "Fay"'s mood is relatively more urgent—a little faster, and anchored to a tougher, syncopated rhythm—but it's still one for the heads.
The remixers all lean on a straight 4/4 kick, but they, too, tone things down a bit more than usual. Northern Structures' remix of "Fay" has their distinctively thick swaths of sound, but it's still one of their more subdued efforts, thanks to an emphasis on reverb-heavy atmospherics. Parker's studio skill is (as usual) peerless on his remix of "Notime." He summons long, irregular waves of electrical current, with just a single kick used for propulsion. Semantica chief Svreca's extra-chilled take on "Notime" fixes together a sublime pattern of offbeat bleeps with some of the original's low, moody shivers. That one is my pick of the EP's five tracks, but with strong contributions all around, it's hard to choose favorites here.
TracklistA1 Notime
A2 Fay
A3 Fay (Northern Structures Remix)
B1 Notime (Mike Parker Remix)
B2 Notime (Svreca Remix)