As ever, London-based cousins Richard Bevan and Joshu Doherty have been characteristically prolific over the last year under their Posthuman alias, and this latest 12” EP ‘The Snake Bites Twice’ on Glasgow label Craigie Knowes offers up four new tracks that continue to showcase the duo’s love of acid techno and electro.
On the A side, ‘Steal The Show’ opens proceedings with one of the most chilled efforts I’ve heard from Posthuman in quite a while as crisp electro rhythms roll against a backdrop of airy Detroit-tinged pads and twinkling electronics, the juddering rave stabs and pitched down vocal samples that lock into place midway calling to mind one of Luke Vibert’s retro-gazing downbeat electro wanders more than anything else.
‘Cobra Structure’ sees the acid techno stylings coming to the fore as rattling drum machine kicks echo back and forth against a squiggling 303 line and cut-up MC vocals, the rhythmic patterns constantly rearranging themselves with each ensuing bar as the 4/4 kickdrums thud away, the stabbing filtered synths that enter towards the end adding a vamp-y edge.
By contrast, ‘Polywater Acid’ adheres firmly to the former tracks squelching acid stylings but instead turns up the levels of suspense as eerie minor key synths hum against a busy web of cut-up vocal jitters and ominous background sweeps, and the ghostly influence of Juan Atkins and Carl Craig never feels too far from the surface.
‘Down 2 Jakk’ meanwhile lives up to its title, throwing the rhythms in more of a broken-beat tech-house direction as moody synth stabs arc against a writhing analogue bassline, the steel-plated snares that snap against the airy hi-hats injecting just the right undercurrent of groovy menace. As always, Posthuman manage to satisfy all of the gritty analogue techno cravings with this latest impressive EP.
