Undisputed techno heavy weight Oscar Mulero returns to Token Records with 4 monstrously thick and heavy techno tracks built for pushing the dance floor into an unmitigated frenzy.
Token has been teasing this release for a couple months with only the track “Carnage” leading the charge. On the strength of that one track, the limited edition splatter vinyl sold out in day one with preorders. Heads know a good release when they hear one, and this EP is blood in the water for a true techno fan. As such this EP continues to place Oscar Mulero as a guidepost for what techno in 2021 sounds like and one of the major directions on where it is heading. Since both Token Records and Oscar Mulero keep laying down signets on what techno is and holds up a flame of inspiration for techno heads worldwide to follow.
That said, Oscar Mulero has his own intense sound and style which is elusive and difficult to copy. For one. it has thick details of ideas within all his layers. Second, Mulero is at a level of musical exploration that is on par with Aphex Twin. You can hear he does not struggle with the music, no concept is too difficult to grasp. He is not grasping at ideas, he is seeking answers to his own questions and is at play in the exploration of the techno genre. For those who listen and watch his DJ sets regularly, he is seemingly channeling an inner self to satisfy his own further understanding of the music. That satisfaction comes across as compelling. It’s like watching someone solve musical puzzles or seeing a great athlete or dancer have full capacity over their body in motion to achieve any goal they desire.
For this EP, his sound has evolved in 1 years worth of releases, from “Mannequin” and “Tormenta”, it feels like “Titan” is a fast rapid shift of an artistic progression that has gone from more spacious and open rhythms to an increasing and unrelenting techno sound. Titan is hectic and massive. The EP is designed to really push the dance floor over the edge, and never once compromises any artistic ideal or falls into any preconceived stereotypes.
Track one “Carnage” has been teased ahead of the release with this intense, mildly demented, abrasive and strange vibe, complete with abstract expressionist cover art and video:
Carnage is meant to be not easily digested. The track attacks your body with intense ripping resonant synths layered over an eighth note pattern in quick downturned amp envelopes and is soon followed by white noise and downbeat crashes that ramp up the intensity further and further, as the release on the crash cymbal amp envelopes are pulled out to create this continuous teeth baring noise while they are slowly being pitched up. As an exercise in creating intensity in music, there are few previous forms of music other than experimental and noise, such as that of Merzbow et al, or maybe hardcore, that have attempted this kind of feeling. Yet even with this kind of blinding intensity it still remains music, and keeps Simply put, this music gets you high. Phenomenal.
Inside cut, “Spirit Train” provides a calming relief, to the prior track yet continues with similar hypnotic understated elements but focuses more on the drum programming progressions in a more familiar and grooving sense. The drums have a nice insisting push to them rather than a backwards slant of swing. This adds to the intensity and the elements on grid come sooner than you are ready to deal with them. This makes you at their mercy as the track continues. This track is still highly trance inducing, but may be the go to track if you’re trying to keep things moving and not turn a dance floor into wholesale slaughter. This is mostly due to the calming hypnotic drone underneath where things seem to fall into or ride above.
Title track “Titan” is hard to take initially since it has squelching resonant tones sweeps raining down on top of further driven and distorted hi resonant 303 like patterns but high passed and EQ’d specifically for more intensity. The synth pattern reads like a typical 303 progression but any prior 303 throwback tracks have not attempted such an aggressive and modern approach to see what that concept can do. It is unique and a new take on the concept. The drums also follow suit in an acid techno/ acid house fashion but again they are done with a more modern and forward thinking approach.
Last track “Elektra” comes at us with deep bell like FM synth tones in deep reverb matched by their filtered midrange counterparts that match regular breathing patterns, instantly creating that mind body connection to the music. The tones don’t modulate too much but are overbearing enough to not be ignored and provide a focus for the track. You are left to explore them in your minds eye as the rest of the track comes and builds around it with subtle modulating 16th note high hats, echoed claps and pulsing kick. The net result is a very dissociative concept, and gently tugs at you to leave your body.
The entire “Titan EP” takes a lot of existing techno concepts such as hypnosis, regulation of intensity in a track progression, and dissociation, which have been on the forefront of techno’s sound in the last five years. Such is the case with Oscar Mulero, it is done in completely new and experimental ways, and with ease. Very few contemporary electronic musicians that can compare in 2021. This EP feels like it isn’t an end statement but a moment in time for a musician who has so much more to say, and explore where so many others in the lower echelons struggle to find a creative concept to get behind in order to advance the techno genre. Oscar Mulero continues to push techno into new and unexpected areas.
-Sean Ocean
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