Vilinius, Lithuania-based techno producer Linas Strockis first emerged under his Few Nolder moniker back in 2006 with his debut Patterns EP on Lithuanian label Partyzanai, but in many senses it was last year’s ‘No Mo’ single on Planet Mu that really substantially expanded his audience. Twelve months on, this debut album for Planet Mu sees him continuing to ply a distinctly individualistic take on techno that sees him fusing druggy micro-house meets prog rhythms with erratic, wonky melodic elements, to spectacular effect. It’s the two tracks from last year’s aforementioned 12″ that bookend this collection, with opening track ‘No Mo’ beautifully introducing Strockis’ unpredictable aesthetic as the stripped-back backdrop of rattling drum machine rhythms and growling synth sequences relentlessly builds to the edge of overdriven chaos, only for all the pieces to elegantly slide back into place.
The laidback ‘Pillow’ meanwhile sees Strockis aiming for a far more chilled out vibe that pairs wafting, dreamy synth pads with lithe house rhythms and warm funk bass accents, with the baton being then smoothly passed to ‘El Snig’s lush blend of electro-arpeggiation, dubbed-out female Lithuanian vocals and punching tech-house rhythms, in what’s easily this album’s most straightforward main room-oriented house excursion. While ‘New Folder’ represents one of Planet Mu’s more ‘conventional’ techno / dance releases in recent months however, it’s the weirdly unexpected tripped-out edge that really makes an impression here, exemplified by ‘Top’s druggy, grinding whir of kickdrums and prog basslines and Chika’s strangely disorienting blur of wailing flute-like tones and jacking techno snares, the latter almost recalling some of Four Tet’s more club-oriented explorations on the recent Ringer EP. With New Folder Strockis manages to adeptly straddle the divide between club play and after-hours headphone listening, resulting in one of the more rewarding leftfield techno listens in recent months.
Chris Downton
