LAYTON GIORDANI Schallplatten & CDs

Review: Adam Beyer's Drumcode is one of techno's most iconic outlets and it deals only in big room tackle for blowing minds. This sub-series no hits volume seven and welcomes new schoolers Marco Faraone, Eli Brown and Layton Giordani for a pair of punchy new cuts. 'Emergency' is a blast from the off with brain-frying synths and big, boisterous drums. On the flip, 'When I Push' is just as driving and driven, with rising synth tension and rolling snares over the solid kicks. Another winning slab from Drumcode, then.

Review: Layton Giordani hails from New York, and since 2017 he's been nurtured by the Drumcode stable as a reliable source of epic techno for the biggest crowds around. His new release is a short, sharp two-tracker which features two very different offerings from this highly decorated new-wave techno titan. 'Phantom' is a massive, grinding beast driven by full-fat synths, dramatic breakdowns and explosive drops - if you appreciate Drumcode, you know what the deal is. Things get mixed up on the flip as 'Thrillseeker' nudges the tempo up, toys with a nimble rhythm section and pings some tripped out effects and playful sample juggling around the frequency range. It's an intriguing look into the other side of Layton Giordani.

Review: The concept of 'life moving fast' is a sentiment we can all recognise, but fewer yet find the neighbouring sentiment - that you are faster than you think, and you can keep up. You have to find it in your heart, which is why you have to make it to the B-side of Layton Giordani's 'Life Moves Fast', his latest for Drumcode, to know it. Philosophising aside, we are urged to "stop to look around once in a while" on the A-side's shifting, maddening tension-builds. The B restores our humanity and mitigates the sense of urgency with a more meditative mover, which fittingly revels in more post-drop stasis compared to the A (though it's still not without its detuned rave stabs and crazy-driving bass hits).