Desert Sound Colony Fast Life Touch From A Distance Records | The Electro Review

Desert Sound Colony
Fast Life
Touch From A Distance Records
TBR: 31st August


First impressions make a huge impact, and this premiere release from Touch From A Distance Records has been years in the making. Nick Höppner is the former A&R man and founder of Berlin's Berghain nightclub's inhouse record label, Ostgut Ton. He has waited five years before embarking on a new music production adventure. Now at the helm of newly founded Touch From A Distance, Nick Höppner takes the electronic music sound of Europe to new levels.


Taking the might of Desert Sound Colony on board to fire the first cannon was an excellent move. His first two records were featured on DSC's own indie label, and this third number will hold all the weight of this over-seas impress. The London based composer and sound-mechanic has unleashed all the sails and has manned every possible control in his arsenal of abilities for this record. A four track EP is set to stun the dance-floors and DJs around the world who lap up this breed of hard-hitting progressive techno.


First track Fast Life begins with a rolling quick beat, joined by a birding synth. Voluptuous quavers of sound ring out through the central filling, bringing bursts of motion to the revolving rhythms. Shrill tone and middle range beaty melodics craft a high in the air kite fly of sound which allows for a sonic openness, suitable for mixing something in no-doubt. A space-age thrill sensation builds from fruity oscillator style warps of amplitude.


Somehow I Talk brings on the second in this selection, abstract robotica sounds craft a crazy melody held together by more familiar sounding futuristic blips and crackles. A drum-beat and a vocal sample give a new layer to the immense and oddly angled offering. Wooden beats combined with bouncing rhythmic frills and bio-mechanical strangeness linger into a dense and undergrowth laden forest of musical phonics.


Beats and bass with spoon-like tin drum sounds crumble over the remains of the second track to reveal number three. That oddly organic future sound is still there, although we are dealing with a completely new feel and seemingly slower tempo. High-hats tinkle out their little touches of drama while bouncing rhythms continually offer us platforms to physically express our sensations as we move. Finger Flies could well be a symbolic image of lots of fingers moving around like flies, tapping out their words, programs, tweaks, musical compositions, and various other forms of creativity.


Fourth track Glixen features Baby Roller. Desert Sound Colony's comrade in sound has helped him to extend the bouncing feel into true funk territory. The EP contains many minimalist moments, where the subtle changes and fills make the listening acute and intellectual and it is crammed with sonic trifles where layers merge one with the other to form a multi-sensory sound experience.  

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