Berlin based Bright Sounds label features an upbeat, light, and airy dub techno release by Netherlands producer Conforce aka Boris Bunnik that weighs heavy on smart filter usage and deep, effective grooves.
It’s difficult to put a finger on what exactly makes Conforce’s secret sauce so magical in this EP. Could it be the human element of performance within the layers? The producer’s economy of ideas that carefully chooses what concepts to convey? Or is it simply the expression of satisfaction that is baked into the release? Whatever the reason, it seems we have a clean and simple statement by an artist that’s unassuming, without struggle, and stands out miles ahead of many recent releases with its energy and clarity of vision.
The release comprises 4 tracks that are in contrast to traditional dub techno, with its heavy brooding, THC driven soundscapes. This release lightens up the mood and opens up the noise floor so the tracks can be used with more open chorded techno tracks. Heiko Kaux and Ray Kajioka’s releases featuring the Juno 106’s fuzzy chords come to mind. Yet the tracks keep one foot firmly planted in the dub techno realm while maintaining this bright and positive uplifting vibe throughout.
This is a solid EP and there are no filler tracks, though the track you will be coming back to and the one that keeps encapsulating the mood of the EP is “Circulation,” simply because the track has excellent layering of filter versus LFO work woven into the beats that is ridden by Conforce and recorded in improvised layers. This creates an imperfect human hand tension to contrast straight grooving beats that just seem to easily come together and collide in a very satisfying head nodding way.
Full recommendations on this release for Bunnik/Conforce out on Bright Sounds. If you’re interested in more of Boris Bunnik’s work, check out his alias as Versalife. Versalife holds a very deep, stellar collection of broken beat and electro flavored cuts. If you have not gotten a chance to do so, it’s definitely worth a moment to dig through that discography.
-Sean Ocean
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