Dold presents a beautiful, chord-laden, and vibey take on Detroit and dub-influenced techno at an easier pace on his latest offering for SHDW’s Mutual Rytm, “Ultraviolet.”
To the gurning Hard Techno and retro Hardgroove enthusiasts: having a mellow and vibey record that still hits as hard as either of those genres might seem a little weird, but you don’t always have to be hit over the head to make a point with an audience. That’s Dold’s message here on this release.
The beautifully suspended chords in the track “Blush” immediately invoke the proper sounds of Detroit, but they perceptually hit as strong in a conceptual sense, as if they were distorted and overly compressed kick drums. Maybe even stronger… since there are richer themes, subtlety, and beauty within the emotionally charged timbre shifts within the lead synth line alone. Meanwhile, in the background, you have some Detroit-styled drum programming, possibly similar to Jeff Mills’ work, which is bathed in a dub chord suspension. All of which point to some well-thought-out vibes that hit you and come on stronger than a Mitsubishi in 1996.
Similarly, we have a lot of dub techno-influenced chords on “Grainy.” The track also relies on a ton of suspensions that never let you back down to earth. Instead, you’re left in the clouds of these chords and timbres listening to all these synth interactions. There’s a lot to take in, and if you let your mind’s eye wander through these billowing dubbed-out chords, it’s truly awe-inspiring.
“Surface” takes us again to Detroit, but done in Dold style. If “Surface” is a reference to Mike Banks’ Submerge records, then we can surely hear the head-bobbing funk of that label with Gerald Mitchell as well as Octave One and their label 430 West. While not an exact clone of those ideas, the flourishes and stylistic impressions are there, enough to provide a motif on Dold’s sequencing that is carefully glazed in a very lovely synth-and-reverb combination.
Rounding out the EP, we have the “Dub at Heart” editions, club vs. sofa. Arguably, depending on the club, the peak time track could be the “Sofa Edition”, but since you could also be as comfortable on the couch with a pile of wooly afghan blankets and a tea listening to this, it definitely tracks as a solid, headphone-friendly dub techno track. Conversely, the effects are peeled back on the “Club Edition,” revealing the almost claw like marks of the dub chord roots, and there’s a more subtle touch to the saturation and filtering in the elements, leaving some blank space in the notes for the ambient sounds of the venue to shine through.
All in all, we have to commend Mutual Rytm for toeing the line as a leading techno label in the 20’s, but also give respect that they aren’t afraid to branch out. Their bread and butter has been this bold and energetic sound that is well revered. But a good label means a little diversity in the curation. While “Ultraviolet” might not be a complete left turn from their catalog, it’s inspiring to see such beautiful chords and soulful Detroit influences from a label that is generally considered the backbone of many a pumping techno set.
Initially, upon seeing this release come out, you’ll be expecting more of the same techno bangers we all have come to know and love from the label, but with this release, you’ll be pleasantly surprised. Shout out to Dold for making it real.
-Sean Ocean
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