Under the radar English dub techno producer J.S.Zeiter releases “Three” EP on Russian-based label Luck of Access founded by Andrey Pushkarev. “Three” EP turns out to be a deep and soul-satisfying vinyl of dub techno, ambient, and early morning electro.
James Zeiter, aka MCMLXV, has had a vast and expansive career as a very unassuming dub techno producer coming from the old guard of faceless techno and 12” slabs of Chain Reaction records where you knew there was much presence and very little flash. This makes perfect sense because the wall of sound coming at you across this “Three” EP is just as looming and familiar a feeling without much ego, assumption, or insistence. J.S.Zeiter comes from a place of familiarity and the expertise of many years knowing exactly just what to do to create this unique vibe.
This “Three” EP is a bit different from the normally uplifting, dub techno minimalism and atmospherics he pursues. From the dub of “Scatter” to the pure ambient sonics in “Absence” to the deep, ambient electro in “Silent Running”, it’s honestly really hard to find a favorite off this record.
“Scatter” offers a real straightforward, dub techno vibe and everything you could want from a dub techno track; it paints a solid mood and never gets dull as the parts weave in and out of each other. Comfort and ease are ever-present as a moment in time is shared between you and the track. So much so that you never want the track to end, even after a whole 9 minutes in. You could easily just sit with it again and again and lose yourself once more.
“Silent Running” is just as lush and powerful as the pad sounds like a deeply designed plug-in, like an ASM Hydra Synth or Waldorf wavetable synth that invites exploration through its richly chorded layers. The pad seemingly pulls you out of your skin as snappy drums guide you with just the right amount of reverb.
“Absence” feels like a sound bed to a track that really didn’t need much else and was very strong on its own. Thankfully it wasn’t matched with any other layers because the deep dark pad on this one is truly pure satisfaction.
To some producers, an EP can be kind of a fluke but this “Three” EP is just a minor cross-section of a producer that’s been on a serious tear for the last couple of years. Judging by the upcoming vinyl releases under J.S.Zeiter and alias MCMLXV, it’s going to be his biggest year to date. “Three” EP is a good candidate to investigate the middle ground of what’s been going on and what is to come.
If your collection is lacking in dub techno, J.S.Zeiter will round it out nicely, and chances are you’ll have quite a few cuts that other heads have yet to hear.
-Sean Ocean
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