- Ulf Eriksson's Kontra-Musik releases techno brimming with personality, from musty afterhours EPs to noisy club bangers. One style that has cropped up again and again over the years, though, is dub techno (TM404, Mokira). The label's first release of 2015 is a four-tracker in that style from Roberto Clementi, a lesser-known Italian artist.
Across releases on Soma and Echochord Colour, Clementi has cultivated a vivacious take on dub techno, and Diodes is very much in this mould. The title track sets off at a chug, as rough-hewn kicks thud beneath zesty stabs and stormy pads. It's slow, dramatic and weirdly uplifting, and it pulls you in. "The Optimist" may be a good ten BPM faster, but you can hear a similarly lively back-and-forth unfolding between the two synths, one low-toned and the other driving and melodic. "15 Years Later" has a grainier aesthetic, with side-stepping drums supporting balmy tones and fuzzy flickers. It's a little busy in places, but the track has a nice, tuneful scattiness about it. It's only on the closing cut, "Into," that Clementi's mood shifts slightly. Wading through soupy atmospheres and clunky claps, the vibe is heavier, but there's still enough life in the pads and melodies to leave you feeling buoyant.
TracklistA1 Diodes
A2 The Optimist
B1 15 Years Later
B2 Into