- Booming techno that pokes fun at your outfit.
- Matt Edwards and Patrick Mason seem to have a good thing going on. They're now four releases deep into their SRVD project, and they've been making pretty substantial waves in the big-room environments their tracks are created for. In "The Yard Man," a booming techno cut that borrowed vocals from Masters At Work's "Work," they scored something of a hit, reaching plays in the millions on streaming services and receiving club support from Pan-Pot, Amelie Lens, Adam Beyer and Rødhåd, DJs who know their way around massive club and festival spaces. Green Velvet has also played "The Yard Man," perhaps fitting because SRVD share some of the American artist's playful handling of techno, something that's further illustrated by their live shows and their latest record, Black On Black.
Where Edwards' work as Radio Slave is all about dark grooves and gradual hypnotism, SRVD is unapologetically banging. "Everyone is wearing black," Mason chants in the title track's breakdown. "Black, black, black on black." Poking fun at monochrome fashion in techno (attributed, of course, to Berghain) is bound to play well with big club and festival audiences, especially when the vocals are backed by the type of pounding minimalist beat and rowdy synth line that are currently so popular in these spaces. Is it silly? Sure. Will it work? Absolutely. The snare rolls and vocal shrieks of "USB" will be too boisterous for many techno DJs, but there's plenty to be said for its simple bassline and drum machine groove. Play the whole thing if you want theatrics, or mix out early for a subtler experience.
Tracklist01. Back On Black
02. USB
03. Back On Black (Edit)