Ed Davenport - Counter 005

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  • From functional bangers to more reflective pieces, if Ed Davenport is anything he's reliable. This makes the fact that he's often overlooked all the more frustrating—chances are when you think of Berlin techno, you don't think of this British transplant. For the fifth EP on his own Counterchange label, he goes straight for the jugular, shrugging off his ethereal side and leaving behind only the basics. "Head Channel" is deadly peak-time techno with a single dissonant bleep and some chopped-up vocal grunts as window dressing. It's simple and beguiling: the vocal samples blur into the hi-hat for a distinctly wet smear of sound, while distant strings merely suggest a melody in the backdrop. "Studies" ripples forward like a shark racing through water, and this time the attack comes from sharp, stabbing snares. Though there's little in the way of breathing room, a sleek synth figure wriggles in for the second half, hinting at Davenport's more melodic work as Inland. Finally, "More Life" is techno with a house panache, as if he dropped some heavy steel framework on top of some old funky house tune.
  • Tracklist
      A1 Head Channel B1 Studies B2 More Life
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