Downfall Theory is a nifty techno label into its fifth release with Russian producer Sanys’ EP, Manipulated. If the promo is to be believed, he is a producer who is building some momentum and a larger fanbase of diehard techno fans.
I put on this album, and I had trouble getting my pants on. There’s times when a reviewer like me runs out of things to say about certain pieces of work, especially when it comes to raw techno. Techno puritans are well-known for wanting to strip beats back to the rawest possible 4-4. Sanys utilises a more funky 4-4 that rolls through smoothly, and uses an off-centre modular synth to create that element of trance that is mastered to perfection.
I found the building moogy synth component and ghostly synth off-sets in guest producer Sequent’s track ‘Wriezen’ to be rather dark and unsettling for my own inner darkness on this occasion, so that spell certainly worked a treat.
Sanys then drops back to stepping-style tech track in ‘Tied Up’, which is a stand out to typical techno with its unique pounding drums and bassline, but still manages to retain an authenic contemporary tech feel. Djs would have trouble fitting it into a dance set and would lose some people on the floor, which isn’t always nessecerily a bad thing. This EP is finalised by the insidious humming of the minimal ‘AFC’, a true-blue and no-nonsense track.
The beats in Manipulated progress and build, and the EP is executed according to plan. It’s no-frills, no-bullshit techno that comes off as not jarring and pummelling, and contains appropriate atmosphere to sink into, rather than to mosh out to. Perfect music for these dark wintery days in Melbourne, and available in 12″ and digital format.
Link: http://www.discogs.com/Sanys-Sequent-Manipulated/release/4629491
