- The inaugural release from Bristol producer Decka and Berlin label SPE:C, Begyndelsen speaks to both techno backgrounds. All three of the hard-edged and limber tracks fold together ideas pushed by the likes of Livity Sound and Perc Trax, as well as Ostgut Ton's boomy, tightly wound style. Decka's first 12-inch doesn't have many surprises, nor does it seem like it's supposed to. Begyndelsen is functional above all else, but it serves that purpose with style and intensity.
Despite the title track's oily acid line and the satisfying crunch of "002," "Escalation" is the strongest cut for its way with tumbling rhythms. Kicks jump and smash, snares crack like wood on metal, distorted percussion ricochets in a frenzy and hi-hats flit in and out of the melee. Decka's track is also most likely to keep you on your toes—you can basically map out exactly where "Begyndelsen" and "002" are headed from the get-go, but "Escalation" has more twists and turns. In that sense, the first SPE:C release offers multiple kinds of menacing, high-calibre techno, even if it's not the most distinctive stuff out there.
TracklistA1 Begyndelsen
A2 Escalation
B1 002