Surgeon - Compliance Momentum

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  • Lost (release-wise, at least) in the return to "real," "raw" and "underground" techno of late is a man who should be reveling in it: Birmingham techno legend Anthony Child. It's been three years since a proper studio release from the celebrated DJ. Distribution problems? A laser-sharp focus on DJing at the expense of production? Trips to India? It's probably a combination of all of these things. On the basis of "Compliance Momentum," you might be forgiven for thinking that not much has changed for the producer in the time off. It's classic Surgeon, a rocking breakbeat techno track that seems to fall directly in line with the sort of ruffneck damage that he's been spinning of late. Frayed in all the right places, it barges through the front door, ransacks the apartment and leaves without so much as a "hello." "The Crawling Frog Is Torn and Smiles," though, is something else altogether. It remains firmly in the upper register of techno BPM-wise, but it feels much slower. We're invited along for the ride this time, welcome to view the carnage as it slowly—but inevitably—unfolds. It's the sound of a Surgeon proud of his work, showcasing a side of his work that we don't see quite as often. There is a temptation to wish for more of this considered techno. At this point, though, we should probably take anything we can get.
  • Tracklist
      A Compliance Momentum B The Crawling Frog Is Torn and Smiles
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