- Pablo Mateo's Tentlover EP is the first record on his Artful Rifle label, which aims to release "non-serious" techno. For a Berlin-based producer with a 12-inch on Marcel Dettmann's MDR, you can't help but wonder what that means. But, in fairness, a lot of Mateo's music has been colorful and party-friendly. And rather than drawing inspiration from, say, a grim Berlin winter, Tentlover pays homage to the nerdier end of science fiction (specifically, a literary series called Xenogenesis).
Tentlover may be non-serious, but Mateo hasn't dished out music that feels half-hearted—the EP is filled with moments of beauty. The title track begins in celebration. Big basslines and tangy synths create a vibrant energy while glowing pads burn below. "Affinitaet" has a similar bounce but the mood is switched, as doleful chords are cast across a plump groove. On the B-side, "Beautiful Mind" and "Xenogenesis" have contrasting structures. The former is slamming, while the latter sets down soft kicks in the first half of each bar. Both tracks have ethereal pads and melodies that glisten across the top of the mix. On Tentlover, dreamy feelings are never far off.
TracklistA1 Tentlover
A2 Affinitaet
B1 Beautiful Mind
B2 Xenogenesis