- Ultra-detailed, almost orchestral techno.
- Cio D'or's latest EP, Polar Q, lands on the experimental and often somber techno label Kynant. As with past works, like Magnetfluss and Fluidum III, this one focuses on themes of water and climate change, using the increasingly ornate instrumentation—strings, gongs and other orchestral elements, buffeted by lo-fi, glitchy sounds—and tactile hooks that have become her signature.
Though the German artist's music is usually subtle, it's also dramatic (which you'll find especially in her DJ sets), playing on both the macro and micro scale with captivating details that glimmer beneath the surface. On Polar Q, the micro sounds very close and present in the mix, while the macro sounds create a beautiful, if menacing atmosphere. She still relies on the long-tail reverbs that make her work so consistent (sometimes too much so), but the tracks here all establish momentum in different ways. From the emotional dub techno of "Gezeiten Q X" to the pulses and droplets of "Permanent Key" and "Permanent Drop Q X," here water becomes the main expressive source, the sounds changing pitch, timbre and becoming temperamental. "Transparent Q", a gentle and soothing piano piece, lightens the air in contrast to the glum, rainy moods that came before.
Recalling some traits of Mika Vainio's late-period Ø material, Cio D'Or is still very patiently crafting her music, always exploring the possibilities between the organic (or acoustic) and the electronic at an almost molecular sound level. She creates techno symphonies out of small, subtle ingredients, which has long been her trademark—and which makes her upcoming piano-and-orchestral album all the more exciting.
Tracklist01. Amplitude Q XI
02. Gezeiten Q X
03. Zentrifugal Q
04. Swirl
05. Polar Q XVII
06. Permanent Key
07. Permanent Drop Q X
08. Transparent Q III