- Funky? Yes. Dark? Perhaps. Slamming? Definitely. When finding ways to describe Ancient Methods, the word "mean" doesn't come to mind. That changes with the Berlin-based techno producer's "Mild Pitch Mix" of Luster & Beta Evers' "Eternal," a 2013 industrial track released through the little-known Australian label Zerohour Doom & Glamour. Techno at 123 PM with a serious nasty streak, it's his most punishing production so far, all about a stomping kick drum and pounding sub-bass. Where other Ancient Methods tracks tease melody from their thrashing synths, this "Mild Pitch Mix" simply bangs like a war drum, never shaking the original track's sinister mood. It's enough to overwhelm a dance floor.
The "Autumn Mix" is more like classic Ancient Methods, with searing-hot synths that sound musical as they writhe atop a brisk 130-BPM beat. The quicker tempo suits Ancient Methods, whose tracks are usually slower. A combination of brute force and a delicate touch, this tune would stand out in any techno set, and the faster tempo could mean that more DJs pick it up. It's a great follow-up to last year's The First Siren EP, a slamming four-track effort that revisited the droning funk of the first Ancient Methods productions. The "Distance Mix" rounds off the EP with an icy synth piece, which provides respite from the earlier carnage.
TracklistA1 Eternal (Ancient Methods Autumn Mix)
B1 Eternal (Ancient Methods Mild Pitch Mix)
B2 Eternal (Ancient Methods Distance Mix)