London label All Centre welcomes Brooklyn-based producer/DJ Despina and their enchanting and sedative “Limb Slip” EP. The label run by DJ Pitch, Simkin, and Sobolik began in mid-2018 and shows no signs of slowing down, putting out new releases every month. All Centre features a bent toward experimental and bass techno sounds, and Despina’s “Limb Slip” EP fits right in. This release by Despina strikes an unusual balance between exploratory and club ready sounds, flaunting a rumbling bass and dancefloor-friendly samples that prime us to “play, always.”
In “Packing (Phallus)”, Despina assembles experimental percussion hits–wooden squeaks, high-pitched metallic toms, a hand running through water—to create melodic rhythms. At times, listening too intently to this track feels like squinting at an impressionistic painting before deciding that it’s better to take three steps back. When you listen more absentmindedly, the elements begin to meld together.
The third track on the release “Alexa in Disrepair” leads me to wonder, what exactly does an AI mental breakdown sound like? One possibility is that it frees a ghost in the machine. At the track’s peak, a haunting trill takes over—a digital concussion that animates the robot. Meanwhile, percussion hits resembling the sound of hang drums orbit and pace around the trill.
For brave selectors, taking these tracks to the dancefloor will be a worthwhile challenge. While kooky and experimental noises stagger throughout and need their space to shine, they’re mostly supported by a bass techno kick. What a disorienting treat it would be to hear any of these tracks on the dancefloor.
-Lina Xing
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