The Turin based NoizyKnobs collective were new to me for this review and once again I’ve been excited and delighted in equal measure by a new artist that I’ll certainly be following in the future. This the seventh EP on Eternal Drive Recordings of Canada and is given over entirely to four originals from NK and remix duties by The Fourth Alarm and the exceptional JoeFarr rounding things out. If varied, melodic and powerful music is your thing then this is for you.
Dissolve sets the tone perfectly with its dubbed out, echoing overtones. Subtle, panning hi-hats roll around your head on the breakdown. An isolated snare fill brings the energy up further as more insistent percussion sees the track out through another breakdown, this one led by a rising synth note, bringing a touch of euphoria. Dubby it may be, but underneath is a hefty kickdrum and some insistent percussion, perfectly complimenting the increasing complexity in the melody.
“Fiji” ploughs straight ahead with pacy drums and a fantastically energetic bassline that bounces up and down for the duration with hardly a pause. This solid base allows a platform for experimenting with the dubby lead notes and percussion and this is done with subtle skill. The notes move slowly in and out of the fore and echo and touches of delay are used expertly in one of the most teasing breakdowns I’ve heard in a while. The track becomes pretty heavy as it continues with some emphasis changes in the notes and stomping percussion leading the charge. Well danceable, a very good track indeed!
“Come To Me” uses a mixture of fast and slow, open and closed hats, a solid kick and a repetitive looping sample to establish a strong groove, moving the EP in a darker direction. A tense breakdown with a dubbed out siren note and layers of echoing reverb follows, and hits again after a time, accentuating the heads down, deeper nature of this tune. One for the “heads” and late nights for sure.
The JoeFarr interpretation of Dissolve takes the original and adds liberal weight to the kickdrum, keeping the dubby melodic notes in the background initially, and leading with a rattling, machine gun percussion. His creativity shines in the breakdowns which are long and varied, teasing forthcoming elements of the track (of which there are many, too many to list in fact). Funky, powerful and gritty, this is a fine rework.
I haven’t reviewed all the tracks here but they are all extremely good so check them out for yourself! Six slabs of fresh techno full of ideas, from an artist and label that should certainly be on your radar - they are now firmly on mine.
EDR007 Dissolve EP by NoizyKnobs is available digitally at Beatport.
- Reviewed by Stuart Ingram for deathtechno.com
