- AnD is back on Repitch with their latest EP. Esoteric Systems shows the duo first pushing further into hard-techno excess, then continuing to find plots of fertile ground through more experimental approaches. That means this one's a mixed bag. The A-side holds "Dusty Artefacts" and "New World Order," two mid-130s BPM cuts. With heavy, bruising drums and freaked-out synths aplenty, they could stir certain dance floors into a frenzy, especially "Dusty," whose percussion is especially intimidating. But at over seven minutes apiece, they seem blown too far out of proportion, when shorter, more to-the-point versions would probably work better in the mix.
Either way, there's more interesting stuff on the B-side. "All Seeing Eye" is an ultra-fast, well-programmed hybrid that would fit with intense strands of drum & bass. It speeds along at close to 170 BPM, with pumping percussion and harsh mechanical squelches bunched densely together, but a couple sly rhythmic moves keep it from getting overwhelmingly blurry. AnD ditches most of their drums with the four-minute last track "Embryonic," an anxious collage of rustling, off-beat ticks and bleeping synths. It's a rare, brief look into how the duo sound when they allow a little bit of extra space into their productions.
TracklistA1 Dusty Artefacts
A2 New World Order
B1 All Seeing Eye
B2 Embryonic