- Matt Tolfrey’s Leftroom Records is now one of the main UK exporters of minimal and micro techno, and its latest release definitely gives the genre a bit of a shake. Marc Ashken is a newcomer, but he’s very talented: both his debut on Perc Trax (‘Bus Driver’) and the follow up on Safari Electronique (‘Acinom EP’) were impressive minimal records, and his live PAs are worth checking too – many Londoners will remember fondly his recent performance at the T-Bar.
On this occasion, Ashken returns to Leftroom with a creative blend of bleeps and ticks, definitely not your usual dose of techno. On the A side, ‘Nimrod’ sets a cracking pace; it’s a disturbing track filled with cutting basslines and samples – bouncy, but dark enough for those wee hours of the morning. Marc Houle from M_nus follows on with his own interpretation, and it’s got the same energy and stomp as the original with stripped down snares waltzing through guitar riffs and melody-laden breakdowns. Ashken’s original is fine, but Houle inserts a key extra ingredient on his rethink with drops of acid seeping into every corner.
On the flip, Ashken’s ‘Roots Dyed Dark’ is a bit of extra satisfaction, kicking off with his trademark basslines and electrifying snares before slowly progressing and breaking into a polyrhythmic affair of distorted patterns. This track serves its purpose well - heart-stopping techno at its best.
Ashken’s ‘Two Left EP’ is positive proof that minimal techno hasn’t faded in the least; Creative and experimental, both ‘Roots Dyed Dark’ and ‘Nimrod’ transcend the archetype and shed new light over the genre.
TracklistA1. Nimrid Audio
A2. Nimrod (Marc Houle Is A Nimrod Remix)
B1. Roots Dyed Dark
B2. Roots Dyed Dark Beats Edit