Budapest-based techno producer Damon McU has previously released tracks online on Tyranno Lounge, and this latest four track EP ‘Senses’ represents a decidedly harder direction for Rednetic’s limited 3” CDR series, veering away from more minimal techno styles towards darker, hardstyle-tinged aggression. ‘Earth’ opens proceedings on a note that’s pure high-end attack, with steely coiled snares meshing against each other before punching hardstyle kickdrums lock down amidst relentlessly circling dark synths and bleeping siren tones and things get pushed through a headspinning rush of sudden drop-out edits and retro rave spinbacks.
The aptly titled ‘Shut Up’ meanwhile goes for unrelentling big-room hard techno atmosphere amidst punishing kickdrums and sub-bass rumbles, before abruptly pushing the mix right down into a wall of filtered noise, while ‘Senses’ easily offers up one of the most intriguing moments here, with its furiously backdrop of contorted and flanged-out synth distortion providing the perfect counterpoint to the razor-sharp snares that float above. Finally, ‘Darkest’ offers a slightly deeper take on McU’s sound, tossing dubbed-out synth bleeps and sinister horn samples through a mass of delay whilst stripping back the rhythmic undercarriage to a spidery mass of clicking 808 toms and flickering snare sounds. While this latest volume represents a very different taste to what listeners of previous instalments in Rednetic’s 3” CDR series will no doubt be expecting, the quality level remains consistently high. Limited to just 100 physical CDR copies, with a digital download also available.
Chris Downton
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