- Dutch producer Nick Putman is best known for the kind of light, freewheeling house he makes as Malin Genie, exemplified by the I Don't Sync So records he made with longtime collaborators Lazare Hoche and Samuel André Madsen. Simply dubbed Malin, Putman's techno alias kept to his lively and animated approach when it debuted in early 2015 on Will & Ink. That 12-inch, called Deorbital Descent, was finished off with a remix of the title track by Yaleesa Hall, who further enlivened the original's loopy churn. It was a solid piece of peak-time techno, and has turned out to be the catalyst for Will & Ink's last release of 2015. But where Hall's version of "Deorbital Descent" jacked up the already high energy, Lucas goes for deeper zones.
To be clear, all three tracks on this record are meaty and loaded with groove, but their teeth have been filed down to a round edge. This makes for a sly approachability—the barrier to entry is low, but the music's power becomes obvious once in the thick of it. Hall and Putman make their drum machines seem handcrafted and larger than life, treated with just the right amount of distortion and reverb for a gritty warehouse lacquer. And the vacant atmosphere in each production only accentuates their size. Ultimately, though, abstract sound generation is what makes Lucas stand out, exercised to the fullest on "Third Lucas." The track takes a page from the duo's beginnings, cranking the tempo up a notch and cramming in plenty of crunchy, rhythmic noise. Hall and Putman didn't need to get rowdy to make a lasting impression, but you'll soon be hoping they do it again.
TracklistA1 First Lucas
B1 Second Lucas
B2 Third Lucas