Presk - Saluki

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  • It's been a while since we last heard from Amsterdam's Pieter Willems. He emerged in 2011 with a run of records for the likes of Fourth Wave and Doc Daneeka's Ten Thousand Yen that slapped a grin on the often dour bass/techno marriage. In an overpopulated niche, Presk carved out something distinct, and in his time away has finessed that sound further. The London skip has faded, the drums have grown grimier, but the funk and melody that lifted those early tracks is sharpened into a body-bending weapon. The title track's the pick. Elsewhere grainy low-end threatens to drown out the defter touches, but "Saluki"'s drums and riffs are beautifully balanced; the grit tempers dulcet harp and synth licks, as churning hats propel an otherwise loose rhythm. It's music that makes you want to strut a catwalk. It's not quite matched elsewhere, but Presk proves a dab hand at blending the bruising and effervescent. Both "MOD1" and "Rais" are tougher techno cuts, their drums stompy and their synths rough-edged. But again, there's lightness, with pads and organ trills fizzing up in the dank atmosphere. These tracks would work as well in a smoky cellar as the would on an Adriatic boat. "Vigor" is the most in tune with Willems last Ten Thousand Yen appearance. Stop-start drums twist between post-dubstep flutter and 4/4 thunk, while the bass writhes against an ever-changing cast of slippery synths and stabs. Each rhythmic change-up inspires a smile, a finger-snap and a whole lot of a sweat.
  • Tracklist
      01. Saluki 02. MOD1 03. Rais 04. Vigor
RA