- A production career is pretty much de rigueur these days for DJs, but up until now, Berlin's John Osborn has made his name in techno with other pursuits: his TwenFM radio show, his memorable sets at Sub:stance and his JackOff parties with Elie Eidelman. So to see Osborn's name finally gracing a 12-inch isn't all that surprising; it's the logical next step for such a talented DJ. What is surprising after you hear it is that production isn't something this guy's been known for all along. Though it's worth noting that October and Appleblim both helped Osborn cook up this tune in Bristol, "Epoch4"—the first single on Osborn and October's new label TANSTAAFL (short for There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch)—is as subtle, confident and good a debut as you're likely to hear this year.
A large part of what "Epoch4" has going for it is its versatility: pairing a bouncy yet steady 4/4 thump with smooth hi-hats and enthusiastic handclaps, Osborn crafts a blank slate, the sort of track upon which you can project any number of contemporary subgenres. Moving from expansive passages punctuated by laidback dub chords (apparently Appleblim's contribution) to tightly focused, bass-driven workouts, "Epoch4" is a journey, though its expansiveness is less about big buildups and breakdowns than a sort of slow unraveling. A "version" on the flip is more explicitly jackin', but there's nothing cheap about its call to dance. Like Idle Hands' take on techno or Julio Bashmore's peculiar iteration of house (both, notably, from Bristol), Osborn sounds genuinely excited by the fundamentals, and his enthusiasm is quietly contagious.
Tracklist A Epoch 4 Version
B Epoch 4