Speedy J - Red Shift

  • Share
  • It's been a few years since Rotterdam techno veteran Speedy J, AKA Jochem Papp, has released a solo record, but judging from the results of the debut release on his digital-only Electric Deluxe imprint (with vinyl versions coming later through Plus 8), he's kept himself in good practice during his hiatus. "Red Shift" is a sharp mid-tempo track that utilizes a palette of metallic sounds to echo and bounce a simple ping-ponging riff up and down the song's spine, gently tweaking it along the way, as well as subtly upping the percussion quotient. It's the classic dark, minimal techno formula fused with some basic dub sensibilities that wouldn't sound out of place next to recent tracks from Marcel Dettmann or Redshape; a perfect mixing tool for the Berghain crowd, although it likely would have to be pitched up a tad. "Bootes" maintains "Red Shift"'s dubby mixing techniques and mild tempo, but its increased rhythmic, textural and percussive elements lend it a denser and nastier feel. While jets take off overhead, Papp is miles below the tarmac, toiling away on some maniacal doomsday device with a crew of chanting subterraneans, menace bubbling from below while pressure and heat pushes down from overhead. While Speedy J might be best remembered for the fast and energetic techno from his "Pullover" days, there has always been a darker edge to his compositions, and this welcome comeback shows that side in full effect.
  • Tracklist
      01 Red Shift 02 Bootes
RA