- French producer and Ahrpe label co-founder Amandra specializes in deep, hypnotic techno. You might compare his stuff to the likes of Abdulla Rashim or the Hypnus crew, but it's illuminated with a unique sense of vibrance and color. On his new double-pack, Drachme Tolosate, Amandra shares seven more variants of the expansive, slowly evolving style heard on his Monkaunis and Lutsin EPs.
These two slabs of transparent wax move between lighter, somewhat playful moods and darker fare. "Drachme Tolosate" surges on the one-beat as resonant low-end harmonizes with bright, drifting pads. The similarly bouncy "Achante Guadalupe" revels in on-edge drones and a bassline that floods with reverb. On the moodier side of things, "Volques" and "Auta Nacha" each rely on a dense percussive drive spearheaded by thrusts of cymbals and hi-hats. The eerily tense "Arcamaya" is the first of three cuts that emphasize three-beat rhythms, and it's followed by "Selocine," the record's distinct highlight, whose soft-clattering wooden drums are topped with wispy, evocative synths. Next is the less impressive "Lutecia," where Amandra's tight interconnection between bass and drums leads to a bogged-down, purely functional sound.
Closing the package is a remix of "Volques" from Evigt Mörker, another techno talent from Sweden who has caused a stir in his own low-key way. Mörker's approach is straightforward and 4/4-focused but no less immersive. His chugging interpretation smooths out most of the original's urgency and adds a layer of dewy humidity. Like much of what Amandra offers, there's a sense of the mystical that's sure to delight deep techno heads.
TracklistA1 Drachme Tolosate
A2 Volques
B1 Arcamaya
B2 Selocine
C1 Lutecia
C2 Auta Nacha
D1 Achante Guadalupe
D2 Volques (Evigt Mörker Edit)