- Rotterdam's Benny Rodrigues makes tracks for places like Berghain. The descriptions of his records on Hard Wax give off a general gist: effective techno tools. Which makes sense—every record Rodrigues has made for labels like Klockworks and CLR has been precise, patient and banging. At their best, these tracks, like the acid stabbing "Anindica," make for peak-time sirens. But mostly, Rodrigues's music is better at building tension than releasing it. His Balans EP, a second go on Tripeo's Balans label, is another take on pure techno structures, but this time, half of it has a soft, levitating touch.
The record runs out of the gate with "Float," whose rowdiness is owed to galloping drums and a shrill, flaming melody. Here's one that sticks in your head long past the club's close, though put it on repeat and you'll want it out of there. On "Lego," the headspace gets stickier, as cyclical zaps and acid gurgles employ a trippy delay before the breakdown. B-sides "3yr" and "Kloduba" fare much lighter. Flashes of synth and ricocheting bell patterns could be used to soothe minds on an otherwise hard-cut dance floor.
TracklistA1 Float
A2 Lego
B1 3yr
B2 Kloduba