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 inch 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’s 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 inch 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
