- Gabriel Ananda's 'Bassmaschine' project finds the prolific producer jettisoning 'extraneous' melodic matter in favour of studied examinations of techno's bas(s)ic and most fun(k)ctional elements. Those impressed with volume one would be well-advised to pounce on this - three tracks of tough, low-slung banging in thrall to dark, crowded spaces.
'Lo Go' swipes hats from Underground Resistance and pits them against a blank bass pattern and wonky tones that flit between bars, changing shape like a kaleidoscope. While this hints at expressive depth, being all grey it's hard to fathom the details, but who cares when your jumping around, drenched in sweat and blind.
'Modulationen' is even better: the kick is so hard it leaves dust piles from where the jackhammer has struck concrete, and the clap is equally stinging. A simple collection of Detroit bleeps gets tweaked and some congas, barely audible through the pummelling, show up - the whole lot will have you swooning. The finale 'Take Off Sweep' initially appears beatless filler, but look closer and it too is stuck in the warehouse: a huge wave of guitar-like feedback - pitched between Basic Channel and Spacemen 3 - builds in density and climbs in pitch, becoming increasingly harsh and piercing before decaying altogether. Were it less muddy, you'd hear Yoji Biomehanika opening his sets with it.
Ananda has chipped away at his drums with the skills of a jeweller, leaving them as twinkling and seductive as diamonds. With these elements so beautifully constructed little else is required - this is minimal techno at its finest.