An Assembly // Positive Centre

An Assembly

Label: Our Circula Sound
Format: 12"
Release Date: 23/09/13

Established in 2010, Sigha’s Our Circula Sound imprint has been slowly but consistently delivering the goods when it comes to representing the darker, more experiemental end of the Techno spectrum. Having stood inactive since Truss’ ‘Splot’ EP released in November of last year, OCS reappeared on the scene recently with the six track debut EP from Mike Jefford aka Positive Centre, ‘An Assembly’.

Whether or not the release can act as a general indicator of Jefford’s musical inclinations is hard to guage at this stage, but for now ‘An Assembly’ places him in the realms of murky gothic Techno championed by the likes of Samuel Kerridge, Raime or Demdike Stare.

At times,the release feels as if it could be attempting to mimic the sounds of functional industrial spaces - the murky, thudding low-end and grating, mechanical percussion of ‘Thought and Intention’ or ‘Stations of Section’ wouldn’t feel out of place soundtracking the eerie remains of a WWII munitions factory.

Despite these more overtly industrial offerings the release isn’t totally void of melodic elements, however even the gentle arpeggios of a track like ‘An Assembly’ are partly obscured by throbbing atmospherics and the omnipresent wall of vapourous low-end. Far from being to the releases detriment however, these sonic trademarks act as the common thread through Jefford’s shifting approaches throughout the release.

Operating for the most part at a languid sub-120bpm, the release’s slow tempo might potentially suggest a lack of movement, however propulsive low-end and driving percussion make tracks like ’Otherwise Black’ or ‘Where Flows The How Flows’ well suited to dancefloor settings, without loosing anything in terms of texture and mood.

All considered, ‘An Assembly’ is a remarkably strong debut, making the Positive Centre project a welcome addition to one of the more creative sub-sects of Techno, of which I am very much enjoying charting the development.

Published
Oct 11, 2013

Credits
Words by Theo Darton-Moore

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An Assembly // Positive Centre