U.K. producer Rene Wise joins Setoac Mass’ SK_eleven sub label to dispense a superbly produced 4 track EP of stripped down techno tracks full of emotive ambience injections to take you to a multitude of dimensions on the dance floor.
Organic yet mechanical, side A starts off with the title track pounding a boomy kick and exhibiting a tight and punchy groove…commonalities that will persevere throughout the EP. Bellowing tribal howls and a low-mid bass synth arpeggio give “Pleasure Note” a sense of unique tonality and character while overt reverb builds that dissipate into subtle drum changes make it a perfect track to blend on the decks. “Swamp Dancer” continues the jungly soundscape with another shrewd and thumping drum pattern. Subtle percussive elements drenched in a distinct reverb resemble a dark and outdoorsy environment, while an incessant bassline makes sure your body stays in motion from start to finish.
Side B opens up by moving the sonic terrain to the warehouse with a more minimal atmosphere and infectious percussion groove in “Hollow”. Clanging cymbal build ups creep in every so often, exquisitely providing the required dissonance needed to explode into higher intensity states and deliver boosts of energy to the dance floor.
“Changa” encompasses a more nefarious and eerie vibe in the EP’s finale, sporting a dark booming kick drum glued to a percussive midrange synth-line that relentlessly hammers down the beat in merciless fashion. The concluding track is a stripped down composition like the rest, but with its main attraction appearing and vanishing at will…a tripped out, mysterious synth pluck melody that teases a journey to neverland in which a return seems uncertain, and contributing a unique characteristic to an exemplary resolution of an unerring techno record.
Wise’s refined sound in 2021 highlights his producing and engineering prowess with foolproof dance floor arrangements and weighty yet spacious mixdowns on his “Pleasure Note” EP.
-Kai Loo
Link – Bandcamp
Check out Dirty Epic music recommendations here.
Listen to our podcasts here.
