- Dario and Marco Zenker continue their label's incredible run of form.
- "Chi Boost," the second of four cuts on the new Zenker Brothers' EP, might be their best track since "Berg 10" in 2011. It's a monster of a tune, barrelling and funky. Listening to it in lockdown, with proper club soundsystems a distant dream, is extremely frustrating. "Bengel Mode," the EP's other techno banger, doesn't quite have the same effect, its clinical groove lacking in pizzazz. Even so, the Head High-style drums hit with impressive force.
Like many of the Ilian Tape artists, the Zenkers enjoy experimenting with different moods and energies. They often take a hammer to techno's four-on-the-floor template, though the vibe is rarely as sweet and pretty as on "Shaketown," which pairs fizzing breakbeats with melodic flourishes in a way that feels very Detroit. Sometimes, the brothers forego kick drums altogether. "Outside" definitely isn't ambient—the synths are too intense, the hi-hats too fierce. It's a sunrise jam, with an epic, three-note melody built for those pay-off moments at the peak of a set.
TracklistA1 Shaketown
A2 Chi Boost
B1 Bengel Mode
B2 Outside