With almost 30 years of releases under his belt, Oscar Mulero shows no signs of slowing down. Since our Dirty Epic review of his “Tormenta EP” on Polegroup in January 2021, the Spanish vet has been featured on a variety of high profile releases on labels such as Planet X and Soma. His latest EP showcases four dark and precise industrialized floor stompers for the Italian label Suburban Avenue.
“Start To Move” begins the record with Mulero’s signature dystopic sound of percussion-heavy, rumbling grooves. As he twists and turns the timbre of the lead percussive sequence around, Mulero progressively adds more drums as the track rolls forward subtlety yet efficiently. The entrancing effect creates the vibe of being lost in a haunted machinery plant, certain to hypnotize the dim-lit dance floors it’s sure to find.
Mulero’s second offering “Area” is a slow burn with a worthy payoff, full of intensely creative sound design and transformative elements. A master manipulator of dance floor energy, the Spanish producer savors an unstoppable groove with a tensioned arrangement until turning up the heat three minutes in. Finally incorporating energy-ridden ride cymbals and snare rolls, the track climaxes satisfyingly and finishes abruptly after its point has been made, providing a good break for reflection before starting the b-side.
The title track “Mannequin” explodes with intensity to start the second half of the record. With a chugging beat engulfed in reverberated atmospheric noise throughout, Mulero takes advantage of the middle frequencies to grasp the listener with a seemingly endless supply of clever percussion patterns and fills. The relentless nature and unique atmosphere give the track an edge while staying on topic with the dark tone of the record.
“Straight Line” concludes the exceptional offering from Mulero, providing one last percussion monster that’s heavy on industrial influences. A tom-tom fill descends with each measure for the beat to steadily march over more terrorizing industrial synth textures. Always finding interesting ways to add interest, the acclaimed producer morphs the sounds into oblivion and back while keeping control of the dancefloor energy through its entire duration, completing another successful release for the dark and deep techno floors.
“Mannequin EP” is available on most streaming platforms and bandcamp, as well as in vinyl format.
-Kai Loo
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