Uun is a producer I’ve been following with enthusiasm for some time. Also known as Ryan Malony, he made a name for himself in the Midwest USA and around the world by collaborating with the likes of Dystopian Rhythm, Sutter Cane, Andrei Morant, Monument and Reloading Records. This is his first EP on Eternal Drive Recordings.
The title track “Chaos Element” goes straight for the throat. A super clean and heavy kick drum is front and centre and that’s just as it should be - solid is too small a word for this kick. A nagging, cyclic sample does its thing in the background and leads into a break to the main body of the track. This is heads down, late night work - kicks, hats, hypnotics - with a number of sounds weaving in and out of the forefront during the course of the track, providing consistent interest. This is the standout track of the EP for me.
“Bending Mind” is an excellent second track. The sound and tone is instantly recognisable from the first tune, but this is completely different. Here, chugging, booming bass is brought to the fore, with the kicks just slightly further back. This bass was meant to be dropped like a hammer and there are several drops in the track itself. For me, one of Uun’s real talents is his hi-hat work, and these are exceptional - fizzing with energy multilayered, energetic and varied from the start.
On to the remixes… DJ ESP aka Woody McBride shoots Chaos Element into the stratosphere with some frenetic loops underpinning the kicks and a gradually developing synth line that feels like deep space unfolding in front of you. There’s a big, synth led breakdown too.
The James Kelley take on the same track pulls the pace down a notch or two, echoing out the kicks, fattening up the bass, and adding a disturbing rattle and some hypnotising stabs. Listen carefully to those stabs - that’s where the pressure builds in this mix. This is a very good remix - sufficiently different to the original, yet retaining the elements recognisably.
Any of these four will do you proud on the dancefloor and each is an enjoyable listen in its own right. The whole is a well thought out package of powerful and intriguing techno. You can grab EDR004 from today at the links above.
- Reviewed by Stuart Ingram for deathtechno.com
