- Upon the release of his 50 Weapons debut last year, Jordan Rothlein opined that "while there is certainly variety in Marcel Dettmann's music, it doesn't really have much of a range." He's titled his latest EP Range, and while he's still determinedly, gloriously techno, the four-tracker is keen to show just how much variety you can wring out of infinite shades of gunmetal grey.
The EP starts inconspicuously with its title track, which submerges a queasy drum pattern in swirling radio interference. "Iso" is when things really take off: The earthbound pulse is curiously shaky, and the array of sounds that ring around its wobbly core make for one of the most entrancing Dettmann tracks since the more particulate days of "Quicksand." "Push," meanwhile, is like running against a gust of wind—at such high speeds you're painfully aware (in a good way) of when every hi-hat hits.
Tuned-in listeners will recognize final track "Allies" as a cornerstone of fellow Berghain resident Ben Klock's stellar fabric 66, and it sounds every bit as full-bodied on its own. It's a casual display of Dettmann's mastery; basically a single decaying chord repeated ad nauseum, the whoosh of hi-hats and snares changes every single bar, building pressure to almost uncomfortable levels. As with most of Dettman's utilitarian slabs of techno, there's no real release or climax. It might be near to what he's always done, but it's not even close to tired yet.
TracklistA1 Range
A2 Iso
B1 Push
B2 Allies