After a string of excellent EPs on Mutual Rytm, Lars Huismann shows no signs of slowing down following his most recent release, “Fractured Realities,” on Steffi’s long-running label, Dolly.
Across these four tracks, Lars Huismann skillfully combines late nineties and early noughties Trance-Techno sounds with a knack for crafting infectious grooves, drawing from over 20 years of experience as a drummer heavily influenced by Jazz Fusion and Progressive Metal. Lars is keenly aware of Techno trends and strives to create tracks with longevity, avoiding the rush to release music that lacks a sense of timelessness.
The “Fractured Realities” EP takes off at warp speed with “Dystopia,” featuring Lars’ signature pulsating percussion and basslines, gated chords, eerie pads, and carefully selected samples to glue the groove and arrangement together. The absolutely stomping second track, “Split,” has a lovely low-end rumble featuring call-and-response chord stabs and floating and phasing pads.
Continuing the momentum, a rolling bassline and tribal groove take over on the third track, “Cope,” complemented by fluttery gated chords and a dash of synth strings. Lars leaves us at a melodic high point with the cheekily titled “See You Soon,” featuring a nice and fat square-wave bassline arpeggio, solid drum grooves, bouncy polyrhythmic vamps, and cold, icy-sounding pads filling out the mix in the background.
Taking a less-is-more approach proves effective for Techno, and Lars showcases this brilliantly by elaborating on essentially one loop throughout each track. Nevertheless, these tracks across “Fractured Realities” move with the propulsive force that only someone with years of experience in percussion can craft, making them highly effective, certified floor fillers for your raw, peak-time, and driving Techno needs.
-Alex Dahm
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