- Amps humming in a silent room, recorded to tape and played back at alternate speeds: this is the sort of thing that might begin a Phil Moffa track. These "layers of dirt" (an idea Moffa picked up from friend and collaborator DJ Spider) are the foundation of many of the New Yorker's productions. Moffa's techno can be immediate, but it often unspools gradually, revealing a great, enveloping depth. Background resonance or tiny details often feature as the main event, as Moffa makes us not only listen to, but viscerally connect with, these sounds.
Mass Action delivers the multi-dimensional sonic experience one could expect from Moffa. "Dodecahedron" shimmers with ethereal trails, echoing his stunning debut for Most Excellent Unltd.—except here there's a crescendo where lightness flips to stormy dissonance. "Decimation"'s beats are submerged deep under water, with modulated noise thrumming a pitter-patter melody on the surface. Volte-Face's remix, which is more conformist, brings the kick up for air and increases the atmospherics. The suspenseful "Psychohistory" is the track fans of Moffa and DJ Spider’s work will be most drawn to. It's dark and full of terror, but there's a happy ending.
TracklistA1 Psychohistory
A2 Dodecahedron
B1 Decimation
B2 Decimation (Volte-Face Remix)