- ESHU is a four-man live/DJ collective hailing from Nijmegen in the Netherlands, and after making their production debut just a few months ago on the local Wolfskuil Records imprint, the group begins 2012 with Maan, an exquisite EP that launches ESHU Records. Lush, low-gravity techno is the name of the game here, as suggested by the titles "Lunar Farside" and "Definitely Lunar." Both tracks have just enough drive to be let out of the chill room, but this sub-120 BPM stuff is for more introspective dance floors, where there's room (and time) for heads to get lost in dense, foggy soundscapes. There's a 90-second break in the middle of "Lunar Farside," for instance—all the better to reveal a hypnotic array of glitches and subtle percussive details that weave in and out of the mix. "Definitely Lunar" slows things down even more, offering a sturdy, dubby groove and an addictive reverb effect that lazily whips across channels like a boomerang.
The all-Dutch affair is completed with a remix of "Lunar Farside" from the reliable duo of Dimi Angélis and Jeroen Search. Their rework pitches up to a more club-ready 4/4 tempo and adds a touch of darkness, but crucially, it keeps alive much of the original version's pristine, cosmic-forest atmosphere. It rounds out an excellent start to the new label, but I think those who seek out Maan will probably be more in the mood to light up a spliff and space out to ESHU's originals.
Tracklist A1 Lunar Farside
A2 Lunar Farside (Remix By Dimi Angélis & Jeroen Search)
B Definitely Lunar