Oblique vinyl

Big return to the Clone Basement fold for Mike Dehnert - with four tracks that continue to play with preconceptions in a fashion similar to his recent Bricolage EP on Fachwerk. "Plonger" commences this release in gritty experimental fashion, with Dehnert disregarding traditional kick drum rhythms in favour of a sloping, fractured procession of alien machine funk textures and intermittent percussive elements and gargled vocal scratches all aligned to a gloopy syncopation. "Oblique" is just as impressive, gradually building from a low reaching dirt encrusted rolling groove of odd percussive clicks and forceful bass fuzz. The incongruous introduction of hushed vocal harmonies and chords tinged with colourful lightness bring a sense of conflict to a mostly dark track. "Sonderbar" sees Dehnert cram all manner of strangely beguiling percussive rhythms together, with nervous sounding (and unnerving) effects jaggedly reverberating in between. "Briser" brings some respite for those seeking the more traditional techno thump, though the hissing, stripped down rhythms are constantly surrounded by an escalating sense of machine built paranoia.

Brian James, Billy Nasty, Rolando, Glenn Keohane(NG415/k), Monkeytown