- It's often not that hard to hear when a producer is saving certain work for certain labels. Case in point: Langenberg's "Times," in which Max Heesen has saved his cloudiest whirls of all for his new Essen label, Mild Pitch. The imprint—co-owned by Dplay and Manuel Tur—has showcased over its first three releases its particularly downcast approach to house and techno with a dub bent, a sort of cross between Dial and Styrax Leaves. And "Times" is no exception to this, reveling in a loop that winds itself ever upward while strong organ pulses cool things down.
Manuel Tur turns up on the flip with a remix and a dub, and it's his slow-building "Ground Glass Reflex" that is the winner, sampling some unexpected vocals coming from a looped chant. As you might expect from Tur, that chant isn't of the ethno-techno variety, but instead easily fits into the slow-burning groove as though it's a lost "Raw Cuts" submerged in bathwater. Tur's dub streamlines the tune, but does little to take away from its power. Credit the bassline: It's more than enough to make the track on its own.
Tracklist A Times
B1 Times (Manuel Tur's Ground Glass Reflex)
B2 Times (MT's Kugelrohr Dub)