Swedish Techno master Alexi Delano releases deeply emotive, grooving Techno EP “Monoswing” on his own AD Limited imprint alongside a gritty, hypnotic remix by Nima Khak.
In Techno’s history, you want to say there are few producers out there that really truly nailed what it really means to be a Techno musician. Alexi Delano is one of them. He is an artist who conveys the soul of Detroit, the groove of Swedish House like off Svek, and a deep respect for the crunch and depth of harder, loop-based techno in the late ‘90s.
It seems techno is such a nebulous definition to some, but Delano really has the range and depth to say he’s done it his way and advanced the creative history of the genre. Here too, with such a beautiful and heart-wrenchingly deep quality, “Monoswing” really shows a concise statement of style and sophistication from a true Techno artist in every sense of the word.
To those who have had their ears blasted off the sides of their heads, one could see this track as more or less Deep House, but there’s a fine edge you walk across here. The edge is blunted and comfortable, but it’s there. It is in the hypnotic groove at the back of the track, the subtle crunch of the attack on the kick. The minor delay on the up hat reminds you of the heavy shakers synonymous with harder Techno. Despite being so deep, the intensity ramps up to a peak with elements that seem a little too much but slowly die away towards the end of the track, much like the decay on that up hat that slowly peels away from the original dry signal. Contrast that with the beauty and lovingly crafted and driven synth parts, and you have something that is truly a very special and unique track.
Nima Khak provides a remix for “Monoswing”, going heavily in on the hypnosis and gritty atmospheres. There’s slightly more attention to the timing and the evolution of the high-passed synth line in the back, but it’s a fitting take on the original with a sweet and mellow minimal groove.
In closing, once you hear this “Monoswing” EP all the way through and the music stops, the silence is a bit deafening. You come to be a part of this little world on this EP and there’s a lot to explore in these few minutes. There’s also a lot of thought and artistry here. Deeply heard and crafted parts and all their interactions have the edge of experience and the easygoing expertise of a truly skilled musician with his mind deeply in tune with his music. When you pour through track after track of people who just copped a student license for Ableton last year and googled their way through YouTube tutorials on how to use it, it is just so refreshing to hear something that has no struggle and comes from a musician who is truly at peace with his medium.
Like Marsalis on a trumpet or Josef Hofmann on a piano, there’s nothing else like it. “Monoswing” EP is an outstanding release from Alexi Delano and Nima Khak.
-Sean Ocean
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