- A year after inaugurating his Ophism label with Modern Passivity, Gaja returns for a second record. The stakes are dialed up on Slaves Of The Future, with five full-bore acid and electro jams and a production approach that could be called violent. In fact, the opening track works almost like a litmus test, clearing (or scaring) away listeners with weak constitutions. Gaja lightens up after the gnarled squall of "S," but not much. At its worst, the style comes off like a caricature of severe, hardware-built techno ("E"); in slicker, groovier tracks, like "L" and "Maybe I Have To Fly," the process yields a substantial pay-off.
But even the record's less compelling tracks have a quirk or two that work in their favor. There's the modulating drum machine in "S," which barely cuts through the mess of searing acid squelch and distorted synth moans to give it a cogent beat; the way the ruined kick in "E" turns from a 4/4 to a smeared throb—and back again—is mind-bending. But those small pleasures ultimately can't match something as impeccably crafted as "L"'s frantic drum pattern, or the dystopic sci-fi feel in "Maybe I Have To Fly"'s robo-speak. With tracks that good, Gaja could've left the rougher stuff to one side.
TracklistA1 S
A2 L
A3 Maybe I Have To Fly
B1 V
B2 E