- A stellar debut EP that presents a nuanced blend of techno, electro and acid.
- Alongside the slamming techno that brings thousands to warehouses and festivals every weekend, there's still room in the scene for nuance. Abby Echiverri, the latest addition to The Bunker New York's roster, seems to specialise in just that. Ab Initio, her debut EP, is a delicate, highly detailed collection of wriggling techno tracks on the verge of disintegration. Echiverri is an audio engineer classically trained in violin, flute and piano, so it's little wonder her first record sounds like the work of a veteran. From the modulating basslines to the way the tracks subtly build up and down, this is high-end techno for the body and mind.
It doesn't get better than "Nadezhda," the strutting blend of electro and techno that sits on the A1. It has the acid bassline of some forgotten electro bomb dug up by DJ Masda or Nicolas Lutz, but the sound design—there seems to be at least a dozen bleeps that move around the stereo field—feels totally modern. The sparse "Nyctinasty" moves even closer to electro, putting more attention on the kick drum by stripping away the other elements. Even headier sounds sit on the B-side, as "Ionosfeer" breaks electro down to a syncopated rhythm and a vaguely sinister see-sawing melody. "Inquilinism" is a pleasant ambient bleep workout, but its three minutes are over too soon. We need more techno EPs like Ab Initio, where nuance and steady groove coexist.
TracklistA1 Nadezhda
A2 Nyctinasty
B1 Ionosfeer
B2 Inquilinism