nthng - The Traveller

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  • On the 2016 track "Nightmarket," Burial inserted a wistful trance lead into seven minutes of ambient audio collage. This tempered trance's emotional candor by reframing it within more abstract sounds. The Dutch producer nthng gives it to us straight on this 12-inch for the new Transatlantic label. "The Traveller" sees him channel trance's high drama with tender arpeggios and sweeping pads. This sparse techno hybrid is deep enough to ride the line between kitsch and sophistication—it works because it feels natural. Speed provides part of the thrill on "The Traveller" and "Blazer (Assault Mix)." The former clocks in at 145 BPM, and the latter at 150, though both are built around vulnerable melodies that keep them from feeling aggressive. The "Assault Mix" is all about dub techno filter sweeps, which are rich enough to require only a smooth, barebones arrangement of kicks, claps and hats. "Blazer (Dub Mix)" takes things down to an easygoing 135 BPM, adding fog-machine ambience, a crackling echo and a deeper kick for a quietly drastic transformation. It's a slick piece of modern dub techno that's bound to get plenty of play, though the most exciting thing will be figuring out how to work the "The Traveller" or the "Assault Mix" into your set.
  • Tracklist
      A1 The Traveller B1 Blazer (Assault Mix) B2 Blazer (Dub Mix)
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