- Since 2011, French label DEMENT3D has been establishing itself as an outlet for deep, dark and conceptually-inclined club music. This is mostly owed to Polar Inertia and DSCRD, whose intriguing electronics make up the first half of the label's catalogue. But in the last two years, the aesthetic has also been honed by other producers, namely DEMENT3D's co-founder François X, who's released a solo record and two different collaborations (one with Opuswerk as Hiss : 1292; the other, a rather sharp EP with Antigone). Now the producer's latest, Unicorn Paranoia, shows him further defining the label's artful balance between techno and abstraction.
The EP's A-side is the more compelling. "The Persistence Hunting" is a pumping club track with a sense of longing, riding an intense throb that never steps outside its elegantly upwards sweep. "Time," on the other hand, is haunting, cinematic ambience, full of cloaked chords, glinting tones and sub-bass. On the B-side, two takes on shadowy techno bring things back to the dance floor. The title track is a nimble but broody chugger, with loops and chords that sound heavy and somber. "Vivid Dreams" is just as driving but taps into softer, more melancholic moods. Synth wails that start out in distress become subtly gorgeous—the kind of layered emotion that gives this music its allure.
TracklistA1 Time
A2 Unicorn Paranoia
B1 The Persistence Hunting
B2 Vivid Dreams