Recommended
Doorman in Formant // Metrist
Label: Fifth Wall
Format: 12”/Digital
Release Date: 28/01/2014
It’s been a little while since the last release from Cambridge based producer Metrist. This said, from the sounds of his latest 12” for Divvorce & Hound Scales’ Fifth Wall imprint, this time hasn’t been spent idly - the five track EP displays an impressively refined take on the Metrist sound, which has matured significantly since his debut on Nineteen89 Records early last year.
The ‘Doorman In Formant’ EP see’s Metrist voyage into the deeper recesses of experimental Techno. Glitchy, mechanical sound-design takes centre stage, whilst still managing to prove effective in terms of functionality with a stripped back, spartan outlook on percussion.
Opening track ‘Third Law’ sets the tone with hollow industrial textures which remain a dominating feature throughout the EP. A minute in and the track hints at developing into something more melodic with fuzzed out chords, before sharply cutting back to Metrist’s oddball mix of grating drums & R2D2 beeps and bleeps.
We are also offered a sullen remix from Lakker member Eomac which takes a deeper, more introspective approach, introducing muffled swathes of reverent organ. Eomac also deconstructed the track’s percussive elements, leaving a dampened, skeletal variant on the original’s muscular groove.
Despite the fact that ‘Doorman in Formant’ is undoubtedly a techno release, third track ‘Lofstrom’ is the only offering to make use of traditional four to the floor rhythms; sharp bleeps and bursts of computer noise helping propel the track rhythmically.
Heaving, oddball percussive workout ‘Leviathanks’ follows this; discordant stabs blasting through stuttered, brokenbeat drums and swelling drones. Percussion is layered up slowly rasping hi-hats clattering through the mix before fading away at equal pace.
- Published
- Jan 27, 2014
- Credits
- Words by Theo Darton-Moore