- Longtime Minneapolis techno fixture Mike Gervais, who recently appeared on Mistress, returns to his own label, SYSTEM, with the Assailant EP. It's the second release for SYSTEM (which is also an events series) and the first from Gervais since the more melodic sounds of Behind You from last summer. It brings together two gyrating original productions and remixes from Guadalajara's Luis Flores and another Minneapolis artist, Doubt.
Straight-ahead 4/4 techno is again on the menu, but compared to Behind You, both of Gervais's cuts here are harder, thanks to their angular, offbeat riffs. "Assailant" is a peak-time track that grows increasingly chaotic with a buildup of three-over-four beeps, chirps and volleys of cymbals. "Stumble" packs its own skewed synth loops, but it's slower and more subdued, and thus a little more versatile.
Flores and Doubt each remix the title track. The former does good work with a slower, more immersive take that has an understated percussive shuffle and a rough, wiry lead. Doubt's version carries promise in its groaning low-end, slivers of hi-hats and buzzing effects, but midway through it sounds like it'll go somewhere but never quite does. Still, that's a minor gripe for an overall solid release.
TracklistA1 Assailant
A2 Assailant (Luis Flores Remix)
B1 Assailant (Doubt Remix)
B2 Stumble