Albert Zhirnov returns to Cleric’s Manchester-based Clergy imprint with smooth and satisfying techno cuts on his “Mogul” EP.
With the chaos in the world today, you just need a solid center to return to.
Thankfully, techno will always have your back in this regard. Zhirnov also recognizes this kind of power, providing three cuts of tonic-driven and drone-filled offerings that reinforce the idea of a strong center frequency in which all the other elements briefly play off of, but quickly return to. It’s a common theme in techno, but a lot of people forget that it’s a powerful tool to rely on.
We do hear a lot of the familiar within the first three tracks in the release… with the use of 909 cymbals on “Mogul”, “Viper”, and “Club Control”. There is also a calming thematic choice, since it’s nothing too drastic and out of the ordinary. Still, it provides enough contrast and tension in the mix to drive the EP forward. As far as chord choices are concerned, the single semitone shifts in the release are also a familiar place to gather your focus in a very strong techno sort of way, yet hypnotic enough that you don’t go overboard in any sense of progressive house sorts of ideas.
So if these tracks are relying so much on existing ideas, what makes them stand out so much from so many other great releases this week? Possibly, the greatest idea here is Zhirnov exploring what is for him, a personal expression that is effortless, and it comes across as such. You don’t need to be too convoluted as an artist to express a vibe that connects with people. There are enough forward-thinking ideas in these first few tracks. “Viper” certainly has enough of the trippy modulation in the synth parts to turn your head inside out, but ultimately we’re left to return to the strong and calming center of the kick and its droning after-kick frequency.
As for the outlier on the EP… “Komodo” offers raucous and chunky drum programming. In the low end, it provides a funky head-bobbing center for which the other well-established ideas are present. The short interval progression, trippy filter modulation, and 909 drum programming are all over the track but are more aligned with the syncopated movement with the kick and bass groove. It has all the hallmarks of the other tracks on the EP, but its central focus is on that syncopation and playing tension against it.
It’s been a while for Albert Zhirnov and his prior releases on Clergy. The last release on record was about 2 years ago. Yet, with these ideas, and his solid understanding of what techno is and how to present it effortlessly while also continuing to play with some personal explorations within his own confines, he proves to be on track to continue providing the very best and be a champion of the true techno sound.
-Sean Ocean
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