Recommended
Expand LTD 013 // Various
Label: Affin LTD
Format: 12”/Digital
Release Date: 16/10/2013
Over its near six year lifespan, the Affin imprint has always displayed a talent for releasing various artist EPs that make sense as cohesive releases, suggesting label head Joachim Spieth is pretty well in tune with his rather sizeable roster. Affin LTD 013 remains consistent with this, each offering taking a mangled, spartan approach to the industrial-edged brand of Techno with which the label has been concerning itself with as of late.
Kicking off proceedings with sweltering intensity, CLR affiliate Alex Bau contributes ‘Diversions’ - a claustrophobic, no frills percussive assault. Crumpled blasts of low-end shunt their way forward, beneath throbs of static and grainy rhythms. The track climaxes around the four minute mark, his distorted percussion building to a chaotic frenzy, almost threatening to derail itself.
Bau’s use of lo-fi percussion is a trait carried through onto ‘Pressure Cabin’ the addition of Manchester based Cleric. Aside from this similarity however, the track is an otherwise welcome break in pace from the relentless opener. Cleric instead centres his offering around a staccato analogue riff, daintily meandering between a familiarly muscular Techno stomp.
The final offering comes from Unam Zetineb, otherwise known as simply UZB. His track entitled ‘Presage’ follows on from his ‘Margen Position’ EP for Glasgow based Sleaze Records released last month. Whilst Zetineb’s Sleaze release concerned itself with the dubbier end of the Techno Spectrum, ‘Presage’s focus is more direct - it’s darkened atmospheres and thudding drums pummelling across a near seven minutes duration.
Through the curation of Affin LTD 013 Spieth has managed to find a common thread between three artists that at first glance may not seem to have much link, the final result capitalising on each’s abilities when it comes to crafting stripped-back warehouse strength Techno.
- Published
- Oct 16, 2013
- Credits
- Words by Theo Darton-Moore