Stef Mendesidis – Klockworks 23 (Klockworks)

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A Greek-born electronic producer who’s now based in Moscow, Stef Mendesidis first surfaced back in 2015 with his download-only ‘Thrix’ EP on Energun, and four years on, this latest three track EP represents his first 12” release as well as his debut on Ben Klock’s Klockworks label. As you’d expect given the label’s aesthetic, there’s an emphasis on economical minimalism here, with Mendesidis recording all three tracks solely using analogue equipment in a single take.

While there’s a pared back sense of efficiency at work here however, things still fairly thump, as ‘Valley Of Machines’ pits a jacking backbone of 4/4 snares against smeared-out background hints of melody and gently pulsing tones, the end result inducing a woozy sense of glide more than anything else, even as the pummelling kickdrums race towards the finish line.

‘Gendarme Classe A’ meanwhile gets deeper and darker, sending distorted synth squeals looping relentlessly against hammering kickdrums and ominous machine whirs, in what’s easily this EP’s most furious ride, before ‘Senzo’ brings back the splashes of house handclaps, as a sampled Japanese vocal loop intoning the title phrase gets filtered and echoing amidst a hailstorm of jittery hi-hats, eerie organ flourishes and rubberised-sounding kicks.

While there’s a sense that all three tracks would work best as part of a DJ set, Mendesidis has definitely harnessed the balance of light and shade here.

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A dastardly man with too much music and too little time on his hands

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