Scottish techno maestro Harvey McKay contributes his hard hitting stylings to Marco Faraone’s muscular imprint Uncage. A remarkably consistent producer, in this outing he flexes his production chops toward three tracks of satisfyingly syncopated, jackin’ techno.
Harvey’s techno accomplishments read like a dream list of dance music accolades – heavy releases on prominent labels like Soma, Cocoon, Intec, We Are The Brave and Drumcode; appearances at some of the largest festivals around the world like Creamfields, Awakenings, and Ultra; and a string of Beatport Techno #1’s and top 10’s. It’s difficult to imagine much this prolific artist has not achieved. His new EP on Uncage showcases his range as he explores funkier techno rudiments and further widens his production scope.
“Gravity” slowly unfurls with a suspenseful synth key riff and begins building tension as it gives way to the clangy metal percussion groove. Dynamic edits characterize the arrangement, every 8-16 bars yielding interesting subtle changes, keeping this chugger extremely engaging. The title cut reads like a masterclass in minimal techno production, squeezing as much as possible out of a very few elements but never allowing the vibe to become boring. Grabbing the body and not letting go until the last beat, McKay starts off with techno proto funk at its finest.
“Stranger” drops immediately after into an aggressive overdriven pattern, a dirty distorted synth jumping all over the clicky four on the floor beat. The snare, appearing over the back of the groove, sounds like a crack of a bullet, sharp and piercing, snapping through the mix. Funky synth accents appear and bring with them a housey positive energy, smacking of soul, Chicago, and depth. The combination of the nasty groove with the uplift of the synths is a potent mixture, with a disco string edit making an appearance for good measure. There’s a slighty demented synth riff that slides around strangely providing the moody counterpoint, and a ravey bass accent adds more grime to the warehouse vibe. All these elements work together in a syncopated fashion, playing off of each other’s placement, showing Harvey’s inherent understanding of house and funk.
The last selection “Scran” prompted some research from me. To those like myself who don’t know the word, ‘scran’ appears to be a Scottish phrase, originating from the 18th century meaning a bar tab. Today, it refers to cheap tasty snacks the boys might consume on a night of drinking. What a title to build expectation before hearing a techno tune for the first time!
We begin with a massive kick drum and a wobbly bassline, and a melodic pad progression to add some foreshadowing of drama. As the tension increases, the track’s other signature synth appears, a spacy bleepy progression, and these two elements alternate with each other, from melody to funky space, back and forth, back and forth, creating an interesting interplay of vibes. Harvey is in full control of the mood, befitting a master selektor, allowing these two forces to mesh and complement each other to full effect. I like to imagine that “Scran” was written after a scrappy meal during a night of drinking, the eats melodically satisfying, and the overall quality of the food, greasy and glorious.
Listen to Harvey Mckay’s “Gravity EP” on all digital outlets, and the link above.
-Nicolaas Black
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