- Released on emerging Croatian electro label Ghost Technology, Mesak's Cycle of 12 is a surprising diversion from one of the forefathers of the skweee movement. Indeed, fans of his School of Mesak LP and followers of his Harmonia imprint may be in for a surprise when they put on Cycle. Gone are the squelchy 90 BPM off-kilter funk patterns synonymous with skweee. In its place, we have straight up 4/4 beats, acid drones and electro bass. Skimming through the artist's sizable and varied discography, though, and it's not so hard to see how Mesak could craft something like Cycle. He's always had an intricate approach to production, creating maximum effects from minimal and abstract sounds at a wide range of tempos.
"A Plus B," for example, starts with a ten second bouncing ghetto tech riddim that proceeds to be toned down and deepened by an acid-sounding arpeggio layer. "Bass Chunkies" rollicks along at pace and with little sympathy, the sound akin to some of the dark post-rock explorations of Andrew Weatherall in his Two Lone Swordsmen project. "Cry for Oldschool" has a melodic structure and a Cybotron-esque robotic vocal that acts as a perfect counterpoint to the heads down 4/4 techno of "Cycle of 6." "Data Minor 1" and "Kid," meanwhile, are two stylish electro funk tracks that ooze Kraftwerk and Minimal Wave cool respectively.
"Mothbusters" and "Turbo Pascal," however, are Cycle of 12's most powerful tracks. The former blends arpeggios with powerful acid stabs and subtle bleeps to create a strong building aesthetic, while the latter starts with a kick before developing into a wonderfully intricate techno banger. Melancholic yet uplifting, Cycle is full of delicate moments beneath the bass and acid growl. Perhaps more exciting, though, it's testament to Mesak's prowess as a producer of more than just skweee.
Tracklist 01. Cry for Oldschool
02. A Plus B
03. Kid
04. Turbo Pascal
05. Bass Chunkies
06. Mothbusters
07. Data Minor 1
08. Cycle of 6