- It's not very often that you flip through the record bins and not only come across a name that you don't recognize, but to see it adorning a record that's absolutely mindblowing. Such is the case with a young Frenchman going by the name of Marcelus. Landing his first EP on the always respectable Deeply Rooted House, this 25 year old has been dabbling with production since the late '90s. Intrigued early on by the sounds coming from some of the radio stations he was stumbling upon, he began exploring the dark sounds of Detroit and Berlin's techno scene. Whereas most probably would focus their time and energy on DJing, Marcelus went towards production and it shows: His patience and persistence have made for a phenomenal first release, the aptly titled EP 1.
The A-side of the EP clearly has its sights aimed squarely at Berghain's heavy hitters, most specifically Ben Klock. "Perception"'s chug, along with its disgustingly tough bassline, is a peak-time mind bender. "Friction" is a heavy hitting warehouse cut. The two beasts of the A-side aren't left alone on the flip, though: "Utopia" is a dark, euphoric journey that shares a similarly grimy bass groove as the A1, but with a far funkier flare to it. Finishing off the four pack is "Phenomena," a dense and lush groover that could easily find its way into Dixon's hands as easily as it could Dozzy. Marcelus has clearly made a statement with this one, and it definitely leaves me impatiently expectant of what EP 2 has in store.
Tracklist A1 Perception
A2 Friction
B1 Utopia
B2 Phenomena