Argentinian techno stalwarts Andrés Zacco and Sebastián Galante team up as Oscean to debut their “Ideoma” EP – a formidable collaboration released under the mighty Tresor label with strong dark grooves and 4 tracks dripping in pure class.
The review could begin and end with, “Ok, so there’s a new Tresor release out…” and if you’re in any way, shape, or form into techno, you’d be instinctively compelled to buy it. Tresor has an insane track record of always trying to push the envelope with what’s possible in techno while staying true to a long and deep history of keeping their finger on the pulse, guiding the genre as a whole. If techno is one of the main leader branches on an ever-growing tree of electronic music, then Tresor’s essentially the sprouting bud on that branch – a label that all others tend to follow. There are certainly contenders to this title to date looking to unseat the 30-year-old veteran techno label, but with releases like this, it shows that Tresor is still without compare and able to drive the techno culture.
Oscean is a completely new project as “Ideoma” EP serves as their collaborative debut on Tresor. Andrés Zacco and Sebastián Galante, aka Seph, have teamed up together to have a crack at bending Tresor’s ear. Andrés’ most recent releases have been on Illian tape and Cabrera from 2015 through 2017, all featuring original and dark-themed grooves with an emphasis on funky bass manipulation. Seph’s most recent tracks in 2019 and 2020 have been these cool, deep, broken groovy affairs which would explain the heavy presence of broken techno themes matched with Zacco’s forward grooving pushes. Both artists have a firm understanding of the mechanics of techno and a very clean, understated aesthetic which is completely complimentary. This is no accident as they’ve been very much a part of techno culture in Argentina and South American electronic music overall for over a decade. If you’re unfamiliar with their prior releases, now would be a good time to dive in.
The first track up on the “Ideoma” EP is “Spiral” which hints at the use of shepherd tones, though a lot of the elements are configured spatially with volume and pan to corkscrew upward. It’s definitely the broken techno of Seph’s design and has his ambient flavors going on there but also showcases Zacco’s love for clean synths and hard funky grooves.
The second track up on the “Ideoma” EP is “Feral”, and if you wanted to say whether there’s any track that truly nails the Tresor aesthetic, this is definitely it. “Feral” exudes everything that’s right with techno – just a pure joy to listen to. Groovy and hypnotic, with well-executed programming, “Feral” retains drama without going overboard and is irresistible to dance to. The track is restrained yet simply rinses out that driving techno feel with ease.
“Spacion” starts the B side with another of the broken techno sections on the release based on a very long, expressive, and gliding ambient pad and progression. The strength of these elements really nail the track together. All of the various synth parts complement each other well. The groove of the broken drum track has a very strong push and pull that calls to the progression and vice versa. Where one pulls back, the other goes forward. The result is that as a dancer, your body feels pulled in each direction, the tension of timing, filtering, and the glide of the portamento really make you reach expressively for these sounds in the space in which the track is played. “Spacion” is the kind of track that will most likely grow on you since the elements have a lot of thought put into them and definitely warrants repeated listens.
Last up is “Austraal”, and if you wanted to say “aesthetic” one more time, you could do it here. While “Feral” sort of hints at some classic Tresor styles such as Surgeon’s “Krautrock”, it seems kind of referenced here as well with a hint of that ‘95 era Joey Beltram sound. Despite the references, the track pushes the boundaries of the label’s typical sounds as Oscean applies their own style and groovy, funky aesthetic that makes the track fun, artistic, and very danceable. The track “Austraal” in name also hints at the Australian Aboriginal themes present throughout the closer. The track definitely would not be out of line for play at an outback bush doof party. It is a truly great ending to this stellar, well-rounded “Ideoma” EP.
In summary, Tresor and Oscean have really nailed it here. Where other people struggle to keep tracks from imploding, this artistic statement by Andrés Zacco and Sebastián Galante is effortless. It exudes the timeless sounds of Tresor and is truly effective dance music while also advancing Oscean’s own personal artistic concepts in a complementary collaboration that fits like a dovetail joint. If the rest of the Tresor releases this year are as powerful as this release, we’re in for a very great year of techno music.
-Sean Ocean
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