- For anyone curious about what a 2017 Marcel Dettmann and Shed collaboration would sound like, Ryan James Ford is a good place to start. The Berlin-based Canadian channels both of these producers in his hazy techno productions, which on Alist Flirc explore slinky 4/4 and booming broken beats. It's also a style perfected by the Munich-based Ilian Tape label, another likely influence on Ford. Take "F5th3 Zult1" and its blunt kick drum, which stutters around the grid in jagged patterns. It's soon joined by soft chords, adding a sense of melancholy to an otherwise booming track. Eventually a playful melody emerges from the haze, a flash of beauty in a bleak landscape.
"Samenko Wardrobe," tucked away on the B2, is the most original track. It has the EP's only straight drum pattern, anchored by another blunt kick. A nimble melody dances atop the percussion, which builds from a dull pulse to a tangle of high-end sounds. The energy rises and falls, refocussing the attention on different elements—the ethereal melody, the bubbling bassline—each time. It'll take a smart techno DJ—like the one running this label—to get the most out of its subtle charm. "Alist Flirc" and "Pegl Shant" are heavier broken-beat options with tough drums and yawning synths. In Ford's hands, it's a great formula.
TracklistA1 Alist Flirc
A2 F5th3 Zult1
B1 Pegl Shant
B2 Samenko Wardrobe