Various Artists Junction Records OT301 Tape | The Electro Review

Various Artists
Junction Records
OT301 Tape
TBR: 22nd February


A trio of talent from an upcoming Amsterdam party collaborate for this ultra-limited cassette release with unlimited downloads, of course. Junction run parties and events including the Dutch capital for techno and EDM fans around the world. Plenty of people from the local area of course help fly the flag for Holland where the rich tourist industry brings in all the foreign shoppers. This mixing pot of ideas and desire for great music can only result in some of the best and most appropriate sounds of the modern era. 


The first track is made by label boss, Cool Tiger. It opens with a tribal style tubular rhythm, not far from the Blue Man Group sound. A frantic barrage of repeating beats swells in amplitude as staggered bars echo into a frothy mixture of reverb. New elements of percussion are included, deeper tones, treble reaching areas, and all the while the distance travelled by each percussive jolt reaches deep into the pipes. Suddenly, a grating bass throws itself down like a tantruming child, splurging a high energy dancing beat into the mix. A filling and overpowering flavour cuts through the tube drums to bring on a heavy and techno fuelled surge. New drums, heavy on the hats, kick in and start a frenzy of high dance motion. Alternate Self (Yellow) speaks volumes in what these parties are fundamentally for. Party at the highest volume. Seriously folks, this track is crazy and highly enjoyable.


Next is Saffire by label new-comers modrn. This rule-breaking duo of sound-technicians bring us a distorted and warbly intro, layered with a sinister vocal sample. Blip buzz bass brings an industrial edge and the force of evil spoken as it is, a shadowy sensation is draped over the music. Disjointed drums show us another way of looking at the track, and as we settle on the new perspective, adjusting for the off-beat, a secondary rhythm pushes down to show us how to dance. Not that we need instruction, only it's best if we all dance to the same beat. Broken and lucid, this minimalistic rendition gives us exactly what we need and nothing more. Wholesome sounds fill the spaces and subtle adjustments keep the repeating phrases fresh. New layers of rhythm are included at regular intervals to ensure that we remain dynamic in the dreamy and evocative number.


To finish up, a distant and ambient soundscape is built for us. Far-off chords reach us via distorting and refractive landscapes and valleys, light drifts down from the sky and nature grows from the ground, meeting us as we walk among the gradually building sonic universe. Horn like emanations meet breathy and slow waveforms which feel like friction between large sheets of polished steel. Sounds from all areas are flattened out and pin-pointed into one audible space which whistles and furies in quiet confusion as more and more energy is compressed into the socket. Maybe this is what a black-hole feels like when another star finds itself swallowed by its reaching arms. Frablum give us 412, a ten minute tromp through futuristic and imaginative composition. Melody makes its way into the piece after a hugely drawn out intro, soon to be met with dirty loud beats. These outdo the previous sound and provide a techno infused slog through muddy waters and sound reflecting people.


From beginning to end, this journeying EP takes us from the peaks of the night to the closing down zone where all becomes a dreamy memory.

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