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Kor // Cassegrain & Sendai
With only one release prior, you'll be hard pressed to find much out about the Konstrukt imprint. Their debut release came from another unknown entity, SHLTR, however 'Kor' features two slightly better known production outfits, Cassegrain and Sendai. For those unfamiliar, the former is a matching of Alex Tsiridis and Hüseyin Evirgren while the latter a collaboration between Archives Intérieures founders, Yves De Mey & Peter Van Hoesen.
Both projects stayed relatively quiet over 2015. Sendai appeared to take a small hiatus since their wonderfully fractured full-length, A Smaller Divide (bar a contribution to a Stroboscopic Artefacts compilation), a perhaps unsurprising fact given that Yves de Mey's debut solo album now see's itself on the brink of release too. Cassegrain on the other hand released only the 'Window Window' EP alongside regular production partner Johannes Auvinen aka Tin Man, having put out a wealth of releases (including their own LP) in the year prior.
For 'Kor', Cassegrain and Sendai are given respective A and B sides of the release. Their approaches are well attuned to one another however, without losing the feeling of being different sides of the coin. Cassegrain's title track 'Kor' snarls forward, full of drive and intent. It's gritten synthwork grows to a steady climax, clamorous rhythms meshing together in tight formation. Following this 'Katran' warbles and squelches along, scratching percussive flourishes neatly filling in the blanks between the throb of 4/4 kicks.
Sendai's opening offering on the other hand, 'Antennaed', feels like a baggage conveyor with its rubber belt slashed - spilling off luggage haphazardly. The effect calls to mind Confield era Autechre, phone-line synthesis working into a dizzying mess between Sendai's staggered rhythms. Their second offering, 'Other_Etcs' on the other hand explores hollowed out Anstam-style rhythmic experiments, ruptured melodies making darting appearances intermittently, only to be buried again by Sendai's crushing kicks and snares.
Pairing two acts at such a similar stage of development appears to have been a wise move for Konstrukt, despite only being in its infancy as a label. The first release proved its founders have a keen ear for up-and-coming talent, where as the second shows they are equally capable of championing established acts. I have strong hopes for the third.
- Published
- Jan 20, 2016
- Credits
- Words by Theo Darton-Moore