The nature of acidic techno means that for true invention and innovative to take place both a keen production ear and a willingness to dispense with the rules that guide much of the genre are required. For DJ Slip aka Troy Geary, both these elements appear to have aligned for this record – his third long player. At this heart of this disc is a set of key pulses and rhythms – from straight tech-house four on the floor goodness (‘Rarefied Slide’) through to more unusual beat structures (‘Hollow Man’ and ‘Iris’) – that are guided and decorated with a range of characteristically acid sounding electronic pips and squirts. Slip’s production sets up flowing movements and melodic flutters that collide causing a range of climatic explosions in many of the tracks. In terms of redrafting the rules of music for the dance floor, or at least putting them askew, this record is certainly successful. It points you realise the beat in the track isn’t guiding the groove and your focus has shifted to the bass line or better yet some of the squeaking keyboards. An inventive deconstruction littered with potential 12”s.
Lawrence English
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