- There's sometimes a point where a label seems to hit its stride. Electronique.it—an Italian imprint run by the music news site of the same name—is certainly getting close. The label's first year, 2012, saw it release two mixed-artist 12-inches submerged in Charles Darwin themes, and a nifty full-length. This year, it's followed up with a record by one of Italy's most respected techno names, Donato Dozzy. The Descent Of Man rounds out the trilogy of EPs, again laying it on thick with the Darwin references.
The trilogy's themes have been far from robust thus far, but The Descent's look at man's more unsavoury aspects feels more convincing. Running alongside the work of people like Giorgio Gigli, The Exaltics's "The Sign" is devoid of hope, with writhing synths unravelling across a grimy, dystopic canvas. Feeling similarly depraved, Healing Force Project's "Average Apogee" shoots for an abrasive sort of vibe. Underwritten by weighty, Chicago-inspired drums, its licks of acid and supernatural synths are even more unsettling, hinting at greater horrors than the obvious tropes of "The Sign."
While relatively bright, the remaining two cuts are well served by a kosmische sense of urgency. Büromaschinen's "Thalamus Hardware Conversion" spins great swathes of melody into a slow and elegant rotation, like the spiral arms of a galaxy. Carefully-placed drums add plenty to the equation. Nursiø's "Pholus" is more pedestrian, pushing several arps to a crescendo over eight minutes. It's pretty, for sure, but placed alongside the comparable work of someone like Steve Moore—"Ancient Shorelines," for instance—it feels somewhat pale.
Tracklist A1 Nursio - Pholus
A2 The Exaltics - The Sign
B1 Healing Force Project - Average Apogee
B2 Buromaschinen - Thalamus Hardware Conversion