Originally born in London and now based in Berlin since 2008, minimal techno producer Tommi Bass has previously released tracks on labels including Multipraktik and Seta, and this latest three track EP for Rednetic’s ultralimited 3 inch CDR series follows on from his recent ‘Gamma’ album. ‘Textures From Berlin’ sees Tommi collaborating with fellow Berlin producer B.B.S.C. To craft three distinctly dark and atmospheric minimal techno tracks (each respectively titled ‘Bronze’) that weave the sounds of field recordings made by the duo around the titular city amongst the programmed synths and rhythms. ‘Bronze 1’ certainly gives good indication as to the predominating mood here, emerging from distant grinding tones and what sounds like the wash of car tyres on a rainswept street, before dark and brooding symphonic chords and brittle-sounding minimal tech rhythms lock into sharp focus, taking things off on a distinctly nightmarish dancefloor tip that calls to mind Monolake at his most sinister.
By comparison, ‘Bronze 2’ offers up a considerably more ambient counterpoint, placing an odd, off-centre shuffle beneath the skipping midtempo beats and handclaps as the entire mix descends into a hypnotic wash of wall of sound noise bursts amidst background crashes of dubbed-out bass textures, before ‘Bronze 3’ offers up this EP’s most distinctly dancefloor-oriented highlight as vast rolling sub-bass pulses provide a robust backbone for dark, growling electro-funk synths, ghostlike pitched-down samples and knife-sharp snares – while it’s no less dark than its preceding chapters, it’s a considerably more immediately accessible proposition. Excellent stuff for those who like their minimal techno dark and doomy – but move fast, as there’s only a ridiculously limited 100 copies available.
Chris Downton
