- Simon Shreeve's methods have evolved across more than a decade of releases, but his music has always maintained a dark, serious demeanor. The Osiris Music UK head and prime mover behind the now-inactive Kryptic Minds project was once known for making no-bullshit drum & bass and deep dubstep—elements that still creep into the techno-leaning broken beats he produces nowadays as Mønic.
Four Sides Of Truth is Shreeve's second Tresor release as Mønic, after last year's Parsons Hill EP. With thorny thickets of industrialized percussion and a huge sub-bass hum overtaking urgent bleeps and pensive pads, the title track is hectic but murky, perhaps to a fault. "Point To The Sun" is a wonderfully restrained cut of ambient-tinged techno, its resonant bass tones and light percussive rushes topped by slow waves of minor-key synths. Too bad it's only three minutes long.
"Self Doubt Is Worthless" is the most direct original cut here, and the strongest for it. In the track's interplay between a huge metallic rattle and thick, meandering melodies it has a sort of carefully sculpted grandiosity like Polar Inertia or Kangding Ray. A remix comes from Kamikaze Space Programme, AKA Bristol-based Chris Jarman, who recently released on Osiris Music UK. Recruited to take on Parsons Hill's yawning "Morse," he tightens (and funks up) the drums, adding a ton of clattering, echoing ambiance. It's a deep, crispy finish to a decent, if unspectacular, release.
TracklistA1 Four Sides Of Truth
A2 Point To The Sun
B1 Self Doubt Is Worthless
B2 Morse (Kamikaze Space Programme Remix)