- Two years is a long time in techno. But that doesn't seem to faze Dario Zenker, who runs the Ilian Tape label with his brother Marco. The pair's attention to rhythm and colour has set them apart in an often stern scene, traits that are evident in Dario's new EP, Trivin Fields. The drum-free "Trivin" opens the EP with hazy atmospherics and a foreboding bassline that trickles underneath, but it's just an appetiser to "Koraimer Bro"'s punchy kicks, shuffling percussion and filtered euphoric hooks. As it creeps towards the end after four minutes, you can't help but wish it was longer.
"To Feel Sweet" is the EP's standout. A murky intro bubbles then suddenly shifts into gear with stuttering hi-hats that bring it to life. That spirit doesn't cease in the breakdown as murkiness takes charge like a storm that's been brewing in the background. A kick shuffles, as if to call your attention, before those hi-hats launch into action one more time. "Der Schlern," which features the Ilian Tape artist Philipp Von Bergmann, is a functional electro-tinged number. Warm pads whirr in the background as the bassline moves things along, but by the end you're not that far from when you started. Zenker's productions hit their stride when the focus is on rhythm—it's his trademark, after all.
TracklistA1 Trivin
A2 Koraimer Bro
B1 To Feel Sweet
B2 Der Schlern feat. Philipp Von Bergmann