- Following a run of releases from international artists like Echologist, Donor/Truss and Sawf, Max_M's M_REC LTD returns home with an EP from fellow Rome producer PVS, real name Marco Piovesan. The Fugitive is business as usual, with four crafty techno tracks tailored to DJ use. Piovesan's two originals are solid, but "Arsenal," with blurry atmospheric effects layered over a rolling synth riff, is a bit faceless. "Intercellar" is darker and more direct, thanks to a few nervous synth arpeggios and dabs of noise between the kicks, and it's ultimately the more potent of the pair.
For me, though, it's the two remixers who win out here. Up first is Copenhagen's Ctrls, who has been causing a stir the past couple years with solo records on Token and as half of the Sonic Groove duo Northern Structures. His remix of "Arsenal," a 3/4 cut with sharper edges and plenty of his distinctive electronic grit, attacks from angles far different to those of the original. Max_M's relatively low-key approach to "Intercellar" focuses on drawing out the tension made by his own nagging arpeggios, a sneaky finish to another versatile release from the label.
TracklistA1 Arsenal
A2 Arsenal (Ctrls Remix)
B1 Intercellar
B2 Intercellar (Max_m Remix)