Quantec - The Landing EP

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  • What began as a stealthy reinvention of electronic music during the early '90s has, over the past few years, become a ubiquitous sound signature in contemporary techno. That's right, Basic Channel-inspired layered tracks are every bit as prevalent now as stripped back, FX-heavy minimal tracks. However, just like the much-maligned mnml, most producers trying to recreate the scuffled, smacked out sounds of Maurizio usually end up coming across as two-dimensional and flat rather than providing a new lead for the Kingston-Berlin continuum. On the latest Snapshot, Quantec at least attempts something more adventurous than the standard lumbering dub; the title track is a glitchy beatless soundtrack, its gradually unfolding, vaguely menacing textures sounding more like an outtake from an SND session fused with the static distortion of a Throbbing Gristle "happening." "Train of Thoughts" however, is more in keeping with the penchant for languid, dubby tracks, yet there is something intangibly chilling and mysterious amid its textured rhythms that make it worth listening to. Similarly, "Melted" features rich piano keys, adding a ponderous, melancholic feeling to what would otherwise be a sluggish groove. There's no doubt though that label boss Eliott Dodge provides the highlight on this release with a remix of "Train of Thoughts." Revolving around a housey groove, shaking, organic percussion and a series of smart drops, Dodge manages to make Quantec's reverberating textures sound rough around the edges, spitting out raw analogue shards. It's the grittiest track on Landing, and the one that really provides an indicator as to where dub techno might head to next.
  • Tracklist
      A1 Train Of Thoughts (Elliott Dodge Remix) A2 The Landing B1 Train Of Thoughts B2 Melted
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