Tel Aviv’s favorite Yotam Avni is welcomed to Marco Bailey’s long-running MB Elektronics label out of Belgium with “Paint & Misery”—an EP of four, breathtakingly well-crafted techno tracks.
For some, grasping the vague nuances of what makes techno so great is a very subtle and sometimes seemingly intangible game. The right amount of groove, the sense of style, and the work put into crafting a balanced mix of just the right elements might only come with time and experience. Thankfully, Yotam Avni has it all. Throughout this “Paint & Misery” EP, Avni shows his deep knowledge of electronic music and applies a deft hand to the craft of making music. Even further, Avni knows how to inject his own personality and have it sit well alongside long-running themes in electronic music without them becoming stale or referential throwbacks; an idea that has garnered him spots on Kompakt, Be As One, Ovum Recordings, Hotflush, and Stroboscopic Artefacts since the early 2010s.
The most breathtaking aspect of the “Paint & Misery” EP really comes from just letting the tracks sit. He doesn’t push you to succumb to too much intensity. He more so tries to create a vibe, and then out of nowhere, you’re struck with an intense realization that everything in the music has perfect logic and sense to it. All the pieces fit so very satisfyingly well together that by the time you come to this realization, you’re already caught up in the tide of the music, swept up by the way your body is already carrying the beat. What really demonstrates this effect is the title track, “Paint & Misery” which just flows like water, and the track has a life all its own. If it were to go on forever, it would be no problem at all. Though, for the sake of brevity, it’s only a mere seven and a half minutes long.
The rest of the tracks on the “Paint & Misery” EP are in a similar nature, though “Still D” carries a decidedly more techno soul approach, giving a nod to Detroit themes as Yotam Avni most notably fully embraces a deep devotion to the sacred hypnotic groove. “Trust in God” has a spiritual acid house vibe, and “A1231” has a more early-morning appeal that would not be out of place in a set with tracks like Etapp Kyle’s 2013 Klockworks release of “Aurora” or Clemens Neufeld’s “Cirrus” off Hypnotic Room.
Where Yotam Avni goes next, it’s hard to say, but encapsulating tastefully designed techno music with his own premier blend of that hypnotic groove would be a proper and assured assured road to travel.
-Sean Ocean
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