Craig McWhinney - System

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  • Part of being a successful techno "lifer" is sticking to your guns—continuing to produce a style of music, even when it seems like there's a lack of support. Take dub techno. While there's obviously a market for it, it doesn't currently have the stature it once did. This hasn't deterred Melbourne's Craig McWhinney from continuing to explore the genre for labels like Brendon Moeller's Steadfast or Haul Music, which he runs with two friends. System is his first record for Sub Squared, a Melbourne label that started in September. In atmosphere at least, "Pulse For Harvest" sounds like Cio D'or or Giorgio Gigli, only with the "terrifying" dial turned from ten to two. Still, there's menace in its plodding beats and spectre-like chords. "Citadel" and "Six Hundred Furlongs" use more traditional dub sounds. The former's ethereal swirls feel like McWhinney finger-painting on a sonic canvas, and his penchant for mild crescendoes adds drama, preventing things from feeling too generically dubby. The latter is interesting if just for the rich timbre of its lead. The final few seconds seem to suggest acid, but the rhythmic dongs sound more like a bell than a gurgling 303.
  • Tracklist
      A Pulse For Harvest B1 Citadel B2 Six Hundred Furlongs
RA