Obtane - Mercury's Influence

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  • Dark techno producer Obtane may claim to be influenced by heavenly bodies on this release for Sonic Groove, but in reality it has more in common with underground releases from the '90s than interplanetary exchanges. "Gemini" features one of Obtane's typically gloopy basslines: It's murky and dense, but doesn't detract from the other elements. These include snippets of hardcore-era vocals and the driving percussion that prevailed on FUSE's "Substance Abuse." However, while that long-lost Hawtin classic spewed out acidic invective, Obtane prefers to drop the kind of eerie bleep patterns that you'd expect from a Function record. Despite using such distinctive sounds from diverse sources as its key components, "Gemini" still manages to avoid falling into a generic trap. "Virgo," on the other hand, is far more contemporary sounding and includes many of the nuances that dominate modern-day techno; there are the Ruskin-style panning riffs, the Van Hoesen-esque clanging metallic sounds and Prologue's predilection for a filtered climax. Yet despite ticking all of these boxes, it sounds merely functional and less inspiring than "Gemini." Perhaps it's due to the fact that "Gemini" brings back memories of techno's golden age or maybe it's because "Virgo" sounds so inextricably linked to the present, but on this occasion, the twins trump the virgin.
  • Tracklist
      A Gemini B Virgo
RA