- James Ruskin and Regis combine for an electrifying techno EP.
- Nobody is waiting on a new O/V/R record, but it's nice when one arrives. The World Remade is the fourth release (excluding remix 12-inches) from James Ruskin and Regis's side project in the past ten years, a leisurely run that's yielded some electrifying techno. They play a handful of shows together each year, setting up their gear for live performances at some of Europe's grittier nightclubs. (One such live set became an RA podcast in 2011.) Two years after the last 12-inch, this new one from O/V/R is possibly the project's strongest release yet.
Easy Pray, that last release, showed how fine the margins are with this type of techno. It was based on the same caustic synth loops as before, but didn't quite achieve the same feeling of lift-off through its basic elements. The World Remade has no such issue. All three of the main tracks (there are also two locked grooves) immediately sync into alchemical grooves that don't relent. It's possible they all came from the same studio sessions, with similar sounds—sculpted kick drums, super tight synth loops, exaggerated mid-ranges—tweaked to differing ends. "The World Remade" is the most anti-social. "New Departures" is the wonky one. "Reversing Into Tomorrow" has a streak of fun in its pulverising groove. And don't sleep on the locked grooves: "Lock 2," in particular, has the type of spiky energy that defines the best of O/V/R.
TracklistA1 The World Remade
A2 Lock 1
A3 Lock 2
B1 Reversing Into Tomorrow
B2 New Departures