HAYES Portugal Schallplatten & CDs

Review: 'Moon Chords' aren't just any old chords; they're the diatonic delights singularly emitted through the mitts of none other than the Portuguese producer Vil. The artist's latest EP plays back in the fashion of something not unlike a four-track lunar probe; opener 'Summer Loop' pairs hard industrial techno grooves with a stylistic smidgen of hip house and electro, while the title track follows up with a deeply hypnotic hyperventilation, with every sound sci-fi'd and tuned in key. Fireground's version of the A1 is nothing less than horrifying, while closer 'The Rtm Is Burning' warns us of the ends of techno, with its tuplet kicks (not 4x4) signallng the imminent crashing and burning of our trusty lunar spacecraft.

Review: Portugal's HAYES label clocks up a fifth EP here and once again takes us deep into a world of supple but subversive techno. It is a mix of artists who serve up the sounds with VIL's dancey 'Dothejazz' layering minimal synths and drums with potent bass rumbles. Norbak & Temudo then rock you back and forth on your heels as drunken synths evoke and adapt to the icy groove on 'Cloud Seeding.' VIL & Temudo then pair off for the more twisted 'Pampomaniac' and Quelza closes down with 'Arnold,' a whacked-out and skeletal techno rhythm that borrows from early jungle.