Sigvard returns to Marco Bailey’s Belgian Materia imprint for more raw creative and driving cuts with his newest “Impasse” EP.
Materia is a label born out of a need to represent a deeper, more true-school sound of Techno, and as a divergence from MB Electronics, which has been a favorite among the festival circuit for many years. The project is a philosophy for Marco Bailey encompassing events and a label showcasing this artistic direction specifically for the heads and proper Techno lovers.
Here also, Sigvard aka Tom Hades has pivoted almost exclusively to the Sigvard moniker to showcase a deeper and richer sound. As an artist and brand, ‘Tom Hades’ still gets calls for hyped-up remix work, but it seems that with the Sigvard alias, that’s where his heart lies. This “Impasse” EP is a further showcase by Sigvard to show an artistically rich and diverse sound from a true Belgian Techno master.
The lush atmospheres and strings on “Shadows” and “Obsidian” laid across a chunky, broken Techno beat show this clearly. While “Subterrane” and “Impasse” show a darker underground sound perfect for keeping the heads rocking until dawn. “Catacombs” closes out the EP with a track that would not be out of place on a label like Cocoon, Harthouse, or the late ‘90s R&S with its epic rolling synth line and gritty distorted atmospherics acting like a fuzzy line in the top-end frequency band.
The entire EP is worth collecting and playing out, with “Subterranean” and “Impasse” getting the most mileage in your DJ sets. If you’re just catching up with Sigvard, or the Materia project, there’s lots to explore in their catalog that stretches back for more than 5 years. It is well worth the deep dive, and you will certainly not be disappointed if you’re willing to set up a playlist and let it run.
-Sean Ocean
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