- Blink, and you could be forgiven for thinking that techno music has fallen through a wormhole. Luke Slater's Planetary Assault Systems project is threatening to burst
synapses with the panel beating rhythms of Temporary Suspension, Robert Hood has just released Minimal Nation (again) and Degiorgio is dropping soulful techno. Leaving the debate about the cultural cycles that occur every 13/14 years to remain the preserve of forums, let's look at Degiorgio's new single on purely artistic merits rather than in the wider context of this re-emergence of '90s techno innovators.
While Mass isn't on a par with As One's Reflections—my favourite in Degiorgio's back catalogue—it does approach the often contentious area of Detroit-style techno with great flair. A skulking bass underpins "Decoherent," but then a repetitive one-note riff appears and, combined with gradually building riffs, the track is brought to a subtle climax. "Dipole," on the other hand, is more ominous, remaining in bassy territory and augmented only by moody stabs. Degiorgio, though, leaves the best for last: "Mass Reference" deploys the same motifs as his classic As One works, but in this instance, the brittle percussion, haunting, wide-eyed chords and surging melodies are powered by a steely bass that places it at the heart of the dance floor. It's great that Degiorgio's back, and the fact that he's pushed his trademark sound into a new direction makes his comeback even sweeter.
TracklistA Decoherent
B1 Dipole
B2 Mass Reference