- Traffic Records is an Offenbach operation centred on a core team of artists, namely Bodin Stojanoski, Jacob and Julian Chenaux, Patrick Klein and Martin Müller (AKA Martyné). The label also runs a semi-regular night of the same name at Robert Johnson, and judging from the quality of their sound design and mixdowns, it seems they're used to hearing tracks in high-fidelity. Though they've successfully moved between broken dub techno, swung breakbeat house and tight minimal since 2013, the Orbital EP is perhaps their best effort to date. This four-tracker jumps from twitchy electro to skipping breaks, holding it all together with an infectious sense of effervescence. It sounds like the guys from Offenbach are psyched on a wide range of underground sounds, and they've managed to boil them down into something fresh.
The B-side especially hits the spot. The pick of the bunch is Bodin & Jacob's "Geddo," a dark and slinky slice of electro full of sickly chords and odd cries. In contrast, Patrick Klein's "Infinitum" is viciously swung. The intro is worth the price of entry alone, and it ends with a perfectly timed backspin, before a bouncy sub complements a set of pitch-shifting breaks and various synth oddities. Edward's contribution toes a similar line around swung, earthy drum hits but it's restrained and subtle in comparison—pensive, abstract deep house chords drift about, before a rewarding break arrives deep in the cut. The A1 isn't to be sniffed at either. It has hits that sound like something out of Street Fighter, but things get increasingly melodic as a wandering, delayed synth line asserts a pensive mood.
TracklistA1 Martyné & Jacob - Transit Transit
A2 Edward - Elipsis
B1 Bodin & Jacob - Geddo
B2 Patrick Klein - Infinitum