Dresden-based artist and label Lockertmatik welcomes Frequenz Mittelwelle to their roster with a standout two-tracker Techno EP titled “Lockertmatik 99,5 MHz.
Lockertmatik is an artist and label that’s had their pulse on Dresden’s underground techno scene for over a decade. While the label initially veered towards a sound closer to dub techno, the current sonic aesthetic of Locktmatik has gradually evolved into something much more analogue and boisterous, a sound that, to many, is considered synonymous with Germany. The label’s latest release, an EP simply titled, ‘Lockertmatik 99,5 MHz,’ comes from one Frequenz Mittelwelle, a newly emerging alias with very little information made public about them. Fortunately, techno lends its hand to mystery, so perhaps the less we know about Frequenz Mittelwelle, the better.
The opening track, titled “Lock 99,5MHz-1,” makes for an incredible introduction. Fragmented and fluttering radio chatter is quickly interrupted by a brisk, meaty kick. Clever loops of static noise, jazz piano, and other worldly textures, coalesce into an ominous medley. Much to my delight, very few of the track’s components remain static. Each layer breathes in and out through gradual modulation, flaunting an impressive warmth and width that many producers could only hope to achieve.
Next, Frequenz Mittelwelle offers us an even more ambitious experimental dance track on the B-side with “Lock 99,5MHz-2.” From the jump, this cut feels unconventional to say the least, perhaps even challenging to the average listener. Hissing electronics come to grips with a marching electronic drum roll and a wicked swung snare. Crunchy distortion colors the mix like it’s basking in nuclear radiation, deteriorated, eventually leading the way for an epic melodic synth swell to emerge. With this debut EP, Fraquenz Mittelwelle shows us they mean business.
Support the artist and label with a digital download, or by purchasing a physical copy of the record via the Bandcamp page, linked above.
-Jeronimo Watson
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