Legendary U.K. producer Russ Gabriel puts forth an 8 track album of elegantly constructed electronica pieces for his Ferox label, building upon his robotic detroit techno sound with a more cinematic intent.
Since 1991 Russ Gabriel has been providing a highly respected and polished take on techno with his progressive and mechanical sound. On “Off Centre”, he moves his mindset to a deeper, electronica state perfect for late night wind-downs and meditative purposes. The album effortlessly sways through different sides of downtempo and ambient, holding interest the entire time with an assortment of interesting grooves and soundscapes.
IDM-like arpeggiated synths have always been an integral part of Gabriel’s sound. “Into The Void” and “Middle Section” show off his expertise in the area with graceful evolving melodies that ground the tracks while broken beats fill in the gaps. Russ includes symphony strings to up the orchestral ante in “Chronos” and “Coastal Drive”, giving off truly epic sentiments comparable to movie soundtracks. Full-on ambient scores “Heat Shimmer” and “Universe” transport you to a timeless landscape with dreamy synth pads and infuse overwhelming feelings of love with the help of stunning grand piano and symphonic injections. At times, the album does feel like techno for people who despise kick drums, although powerful kicks do make a few rare appearances, notably holding the beat together in “Benno”, and making a triumphant entrance halfway through “Finale”, sending you off with a tight, progressive groove that gives you optimism to take on the day with a positive outlook.
Russ Gabriel accomplishes an adventurous feat side-stepping into the world of electronica, while successfully staying true to his sound on his magnificent “Off Centre” LP.
-Kai Loo
Link – Bandcamp
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