- Munich's top techno siblings return with two booming tracks.
- A lot has happened since Dario and Marco Zenker last teamed up for a record. That Skee Mask record came out on their label, Ilian Tape. They DJ'd over 125 times around the world, while Ilian Tape released material from Andrea and Stenny, as well as a compilation repping the core Munich crew. In short, Dario, Marco and their cohort are firing on all cylinders.
The free exchange of ideas between Ilian Tape artists is evident on "Sorting Peanuts." At one point, the beat fizzles into static and distortion before slamming back in. It's an idea we've heard recently from Ilian Tape, specifically on February's Skee Mask EP. But it's a good gimmick, and "Sorting Peanuts" is full of them, including the '80s-style orchestra hits that give the storming breakbeat techno track a futuristic b-boy vibe.
"Sample Predator" is Shed-worshipping techno that's fairly straight-ahead by the Zenker's standards. Gone are the Dial-esque melodies of tracks like "Phing" from their 2015 album—this is brutalist utilitarianism. In his review of A Decade Ilian Tape," Angus Finlayson suggested the crew was "settling into a well-worn formula." That could imply complacency, but "Sample Predator" portrays a duo that's sharpening its signature sound.
TracklistA Sorting Peanuts
B Sample Predator