South American techno producer William Arist delivers a soulful 2-track outing on Gary Beck’s imprint BEK Audio.
Glasgow label BEK Audio, run by techno artist Gary Beck, has a long 10+ year history and has released the likes of Alan Fitzpatrick, Mark Broom, and DJ Rush, among many others. Based in Uruguay, William Arist flies under various monikers and has eclectic music out on Uncage, Animal Farm, Knowledge Imprint, On Edge Society, and DEAD CERT. In this release, he explores classic techno themes that bear a markedly positive spirit.
Arist’s “B-One” is anchored by an iconic house/techno stab pattern, filtering in two waves, that opens and closes gradually throughout the arrangement. This pattern appears, like a dance music rudiment, in countless tracks over the years, and each artist gives it their own flavor. Sometimes hard and demanding, abrasive and harsh, even industrial; sometimes made with rounder, more analog sounds. Here, by the two-and-a-half minute mark, the production blooms into a fully uplifting number. The synth’s filter is open fully, and the effect is joyous, soulful, full of anticipation and brightness. Cleverly programmed stereo ping-ponging snares and hats provide ear candy, giving the track another dimension to its energetic pulse.
Gary Beck is himself an exceptional producer, having released work on labels like Edit Select , Perc Trax, Soma, Drumcode, Figure, and Electric Deluxe. Here, he provides a remix with a purpose. Right away, the track drops into a fast, distorted 909, the bottom pounding with bass. The uplifting vibe is still there, but the beat is dirtier, grimier, harder, so when the synths open up the energy reaches peaktime. The overdriven rhythm section balances the uplifting synths perfectly, channeling big-room peaktime warehouse bliss. And as the bass and kicks scatter dirt, flap and rub, rip and tear at the ground, they fade away when the track runs out, and we can’t help but wish for them to come back. Immediately.
“Excesivo” may tease with hats throughout, but there’s nothing coy about this number when the groove takes over. Pure techno energy, characterized by a massive kick drum and punctuated by rolling congas. Not dark, and not truly soulful either, but rather a pure energy pulse that propels forward. The percussion is hypnotic, not stopping through any of the drops … exploring afrolatin themes with tightly edited drum patterns. Another techno winner, that is not ‘excessive’ at all, and we hope WIlliam has more like this coming.
-Nicolaas Black
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