When Venezuelan born and now Barcelona-based electronic producer Luis Garban first emerged under his Cardopusher alias during the late 2000s with releases on labels including Planet Mu and Tigerbeat6, he was more associated with the then burgeoning breakcore and dubstep scenes. In recent years though he’s shifted more towards acid techno and footwork, with last year seeing him release his fourth album ‘Manipulator’ on the Boysnoize label. The four tracks that make up this latest 12” EP on Super Rhythm Trax ‘Unsatisfied Customer Jams’ see Cardopusher opting for nothing less than raw analogue acid techno aimed straight for a grimy dancefloor with no pretensions.
‘End Local’ kicks things open with an almost EBM-centred stomp as mechanistic kick drums punch away beneath warbling filtered acid squelches, stacked handclaps and repetitive MC vocal samples, the relentless rhythmic backbone sharpening itself to headbutting intensity by the end. ‘Variant’ meanwhile opts for a more galloping groove whilst magnifying the sinister robotic vibe as electro-acid 303s cycle against rolling percussive drum breaks that slam and fidget like they’re trying to break free of the mix amidst eerie murmuring spoken vocals, before ‘Inequality’ sees minor key synth vamps adding to the sense of drama as the writhing acid squiggles contort like snakes into a breakdown section that’s all cowbell and retro eighties syn-drums. It’s unlikely that there’ll be any unsatisfied customers here, particularly those of the acid techno persuasion.
