Kr!z steps up for his sixth label contribution with four chilling cuts, pushing his sound into bolder territory than ever. 'Inferno' could mean many things, but at first listen it could be interpreted as a homage to the unforgiving nature of the club experience. Stripped down to the bare essentials, these tracks showcase the efficiency of simple ideas spoken with authority. 'Inferno', as an EP and its A1, focuses on the brutality of weight in minimal elements. The spaces between the crunched lead are filled only with the continuity of a whipping drum machine. Sucked in and spit out, Kr!z delivers a whirlpool of sonic motion for the ultra focused stretch of a long set. Intrigue remains constant as tension is maintained, and the track's elements are truly pulled together by wailing synth keys that distort heavily off the stereo field. As the centerpiece of the EP, 'Inferno' uses the brutality of this sound design to guide hysteria into each section as well as bouncing off the texture of the lead, complete with brisk percussion switches. 'Gridlock' follows in its predecessor's footsteps, but not without its own point to make. Vintage in its construction yet cutting edge in resolution, Kr!z builds up and breaks down drums over a single chord-like synth that grinds through the record like heavy machinery. The pure distortion of this chord destroys any hope for harmonics in its wake, an intentional decision by Kr!z to dirty up his sound design and saturate his output for a result that drives the dancefloor into dissonant hysteria. The swing between each hit and the silence between the sections are an increasingly harder pull into his urgent narrative as 'Gridlock' spirals along into the B side of the record. 'Level Zero' is painted in the same color as the others, but provides a familiarity that highlights Token's influence as a record label since 2007. A detuned, resonant synth sequence plucks its way along 'Level Zero' for true mechanical dissociation. Here and there, Kr!z sprinkles in some tonal variations to hold attention while insisting on the brutality of his initial loop. Sweeping his filter and shaking the rides, we arrive at the final part of the record 'The Great Forgetting'. The tonal switch of this song is a good indicator that it's the closing, making things lighter with a clean pad and playful drums. The genre almost feels like a hybrid; Kr!z steps away from the chaos and into a controlled euphoria that winds down 'Inferno' on a high note while keeping control of his dancefloor.

Token Techno (Raw / Deep / Hypnotic)

The Fuga compilation returns to Token with its seventh installment by a fresh batch of artists emphasizing the cryptic sound of the Belgian record label. The V/A displays urgency as its focal point, expanding and contracting its acoustic space throughout to channel instability. With eight contributions, Fuga VII sifts through nail biting arpeggios, frenzied percussion, and obscure ambiance to recalibrate techno's current soundscape. Opening the compilation is contemporary techno mainstay Rene Wise with his debut contribution to the record label 'Rough Rider'. In this A1, Wise plays to his strengths by blending deep techno influences with hyper-focused rhythmic work. With a hint of tribalism, he conjures up synthwork from far off to whip motion into heavy drum patterns. Following this first track, STIPP and Sandrien take control in presenting 'Corrie', a sequence-forward groover that slides through drum programing to streamline rhythm. A shrill pad comes in at the halfway mark, completely lifting the energy of 'Corrie' to strain the track's obscurity with an ethereal counterweight. The brief passage of these kinds of elements provides a lot of dynamic to what would otherwise be a powerfully straightforward piece. Diving deeper, Red Rooms unveils 'Limited Sensory' as the next chapter of the compilation. Always swift and exact, the German artist continues to push into the ultra immersive with a web of elements that whiz by for a peaktime lock in. Cold in attitude, Red Rooms tunnels through 'Limited Sensory' with quick drums and far-off percussive hits that rumble through the track. Stepping up afterwards is Lindsey Herbert with 'Oscillations in Space' - an appropriately named recording that experiments with mania as a tool for the dancefloor. Fast and spiraling, Herbert keeps her hands on the arpeggio's filter to contain tension through thunderous reverb transitions, balancing panic with pace. AgainstMe then stretches out the followup with the commanding 'Phase Shift' to double down on weight. Textural intimidation and stomping percussion is given the space it needs to perform on heavy weight sound systems, making it an austere middle point for Fuga. MAL HOMBRE then guides the listener to more elastic sound design in 'Critical Velocity', in a most appropriate Token fashion. Snowballing in intensity halfway through, MAL HOMBRE pushes the cutoff of his melody and programs snare rolls for vintage craze through the second section. Bells clash with ringing hats to fly the track along its course without looking back or letting go. Conor Wall takes control with 'The Strategy' that focuses on pace rather than melody, weaponizing metallic texture for a deep dancefloor experience. The ambiance does a lot of story telling here, marking breaks and riding through drops to provide grit to an already substantial record. This leads us to the final contribution in Fuga VII - 'Ad Libitum'. Here, Porteix emphasizes the conclusion of the compilation with mystery. The synths slither around pulsating rhythm, creating uninterrupted motion throughout the track's entirety. Porteix draws the curtains on an inquisitive note, keeping the suspense high until the next Fuga compilation comes around.

Token Techno (Raw / Deep / Hypnotic)

Token Techno (Raw / Deep / Hypnotic)