Orbe takes us home this season by way of the galaxy of “Andromeda” on Kr!z’ Token Records with a deeper and spaced out but still powerfully forceful set of tracks on his newest release.
The liner notes on this “Andromeda” EP are full of stories of the synths carrying you into space, but what really sets this EP apart is the strong and fast 140 BPM drums which are very much hushed by the forceful calm of the atmospheres on this record. It’s a very simple set of Techno tracks, but the emotional content is really consistent and Orbe gets that message across very clearly.
There are themes of floating suspension in “Andromeda (Part 2)” and the uneasiness of the synths tearing off from the beat like honey falling off of a spoon. Similarly, “Andromeda (Part 3)” investigates a similarly drippy resonant viscosity while the atmospheres, possibly time stretched, fall away from the headnote of the phrase. Both “Andromeda (Part 1)” and “Andromeda (Part 4)” exercise a feeling of groundedness in the bass and the groove while hinting at the disembodied floating in parts 2 and 3. In a sense, parts 1 and 4 are great bookends to the journey through this sweet, syrupy, synth-laden EP.
Typically, the production season kind of winds down during the holiday season while people are getting ready to be closer to their families.. So too, it feels in this EP that Orbe has found a great way to wrap up something of a monster year for Techno where we started to see Rave no longer be a four letter word and the BPMs soar into the stratosphere.
Lots of true-school Techno heads have doubled down on the “proper Techno” ethos, but when you can see an artist embrace the changes and also inject some feeling and great sound design into the mix, it’s surely a breathtaking thing to witness. Respect due for a classy release from Orbe and Token as always.
-Sean Ocean
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