Manchester-based techno duo And have spent the last couple of years dropping an impressive slew of 12”s for labels like Mindset and Horizontal Ground, and this latest 12” for Idle Hands sees them offering up two distinctly divergent new tracks. On the A-side, ‘Hydrothermal’ plays it more or less straight, sending tumbling assembly-line rhythms rolling alongside humming layers of sub-bass and sharp, clicking snares in a viscerally throbbing offering reminiscent of Surgeon’s mantra-like pulse that’s distinctly geared towards the early hours. Over on the flip though, ‘Lights Down’ offers up what’s easily the most intriguing track here as glitchy crackles build into a dense web of rattling metallic textures and flickering hi-hats that leans closer to the likes of T++, particularly as vast undulating sub-bass swells roll out beneath the mechanically grinding rhythms. It’s so good in fact, that it’s pretty much worth the price of entry here alone. Well worth seeking out, with a digital download version also available from the usual suspects.
Chris Downton
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