- Kris Wadsworth's latest 12-inch, Cali, arrives on the German techno label Odd Even, whose music shares the Detroit artist's taste for muscular sounds. Wadsworth's Uranus series, where sludgy chords and drums swung more heavily, tilted towards techno, a sound he inhabits comfortably on "High." Its softly gated synths stream quickly along the drums and hi-hats until, like saw blades, they begin to blur. Subtle harmonic echoes gesture to prog, as do the tingling arps that brush "Omen"'s synth lines and bassy smudges.
Many of Wadsworth's standout tracks—"Mainline," "Sweatin' Cold," "Crushed"—have vocals. One surfaces in the back end of the title track, but it's one of Wadsworth's least inspired cuts of recent memory. The twelve-note bass synth lead fails to land on a surprising spot, while the hi-hats and claps struggle to find room in a packed midrange. A similar lead resurfaces on "Vibe," but by sharing the load with another synth, which counters the melody in wiry arcs, it helps the groove stay supple. Cali will give reliable heft to a house and techno set, but Wadsworth isn't pushing himself particularly hard.
TracklistA1 High
A2 Cali
B1 Vibe
B2 Omen