- Since launching in 2013 with a compilation EP that featured a Kassem Mosse track, the label run by Manchester's meandyou. party has released no more than one record a year. And only two of the six releases so far (including cassettes) have been solo endeavors. Point being, it's worth taking note of a new non-compilation record in the meandyou. catalog, and Fabric's Curiosity Model is just that. It's Ohio producer Matthew Mullane's first record as Fabric in five years, following his lovely debut album for Spectrum Spools. But fans of A Sort Of Radiance might be surprised by these tracks—nothing is beatless, and the influence of kosmische and drone is minimal.
Curiosity Model follows an appearance on this year's The Bookbinders EP, where "Pink Grid" obscured dub techno nearly to oblivion. Just about everything here is more clear-headed and forceful, though, and that sharpness is an ideal approach for Mullane's synthy, sluggish techno. Tracks like "Sep L (Asclep Coil)," "Blurred On Glass" and the title cut use their meaty kicks like punctuation, dropping each thud pointedly between busy melodic sequences and a resonant bass throb. Only "Against Sen" and a portion of "Curiosity Model" are straightforward enough for potential DJ use, and the former, at about 100 BPM, might only be useful for a druggy lull or calming wind down. With all of its compositional eccentricities and analog quirks, Curiosity Model works more like a teaser for Mullane's live performance than potent club fare. And in that way, it's an enticing new chapter in Fabric's gently-paced story.
TracklistA1 Sep L (Asclep Coil)
A2 Curiosity Model
B1 Against Sen
B2 Blurred On Glass
B3 Geo Mode