- Under the Zadig moniker, Parisian Peltier Sylvain has just a couple of years worth of releases on relatively small labels like Syncrophone and Plastic Rec to his name. Construct Reform is his own new imprint, with aims as yet unclear. Based on this first record, however, it might encompass both contemporary and bygone sounds. The A-side, "OO_D" takes care of the latter, using a "Groove La Chord"-style construction. It's built around a single motif which Sylvain runs through various mutations, moving the notes enough to hold interest but keep the hook's identity intact. Again like "Groove La Chord"—and quite a few tracks from that era—the lead synth has a stabby, swirling quality, undulating violently through the track's 909-sourced drums. While some may find a piece like this derivative so late in the game, it's nice to hear it executed so well.
In "Re-Form," things slow considerably, taking the tempo under 120. It's just one signifier of a more current composition. While its counterpart is overtly big room, this one seems tailored for an even bigger space, one starting with "B" and rhyming with "nerghain." Dessicated but forceful kicks pound out a rhythm, assisted by equally parched cymbals and claps. This lumbering skeleton partially obscures the marked influence of dub, as found in previous work like "Dark Nebula." Most of the interesting bits lie hidden in bottomless currents of bass, their minute but powerful changes easy to miss.
Tracklist A OO_D
B Re-Form