Review: Louis the 4th is a master of groovy and percussive techno and if you need any more evidence of that then check out this new EP on TH Tar Hallow. 'Rootedness' is a roller with slick hi-hats ticking away over rubbery bass. 'Conception' is more edgy and kinetic with razor-sharp snares over more silky drums. 'Two Days Before Leaving' has hefty dub undercurrents and panel-beaten loops that make you march while 'Tumultuous Groove' is a more intense number with grit and steel in its robust groove framework. 'Frequencies' shuts down with a haunting and eerie synth mood.
Review: Louis The 4th made something of a splash in 2024, delivering a string of well-regarded EPs on TH Tar Hollow, Prima Materia and Planet Rhythm. He begins his 2025 release campaign with a typically assured return to the latter label, taking us on an imaginary climb up Mount Agung in Indonesia. Hints of this loose theme can be spotted on opener 'Balinese Morality', a pleasingly melodic (but undeniably tough) techno workout in which rising and falling synth loops dance atop a punchy rhythm track and deep, booming bass. The struggle onwards up the mythical volcano is reflected in the dark, breathless and percussively layered techno stomper 'Drive System'. Elsewhere, 'Memoir' explores similar sonic territory to 'Balinese Morality', while 'End of June' tiptoes a fine line between lo-fi techno hedonism and melody-rich peak-time hypnotism
Review: The Young Hegelians once reparteed that Manchester was the geographical birthing place of the Industrial Revolution. Mysterious Manc monarch Louis The 4th nods at this fact with an express delivery straight from the millworks; even in the most brutal of working conditions, one might find love. 'She's From Manchester' evokes plumes of ashen smog as the waste byproduct of an excessively productive, surplus labourious love affair. Foundries founder, and railway workshops curdle under the weight of mechanical process, as the fast propulsions of 'Sub Genetic' and 'Stuck In The Void' quell the soul as much as they do exhaust the body, outstripping and going beyond the injurious demand to work overtime. 'Suffering Experience' closes on a dulled but continual note, as wan reverberations resound in a now abandoned factory.
Review: 59 Bel is back with another transmission from its HQ in Paris and again it's an interesting take on techno. Ian Maur opens with a minimal cut that is urgent and hurried yet barely there. Deluka brings some sci-fi imagery to the loopy sounds of 'My Underground' and Louis The 4th takes off on dry, glitchy minimal beats on the serene 'Ongoing Motifs.' Model HZ's 'Render' is a more synth-laced bit of classically inclined techno and Askkin's 'Life Spectator'' comes full circle with another eerie, sparse sound for freaking out late-night dancers.
We use cookies to personalise content and ads, to provide social media features and to analyse our traffic. We also share information about your use of our site with our social media, advertising and analytics partners who may combine it with other information that you've provided to them or that they've collected from your use of their services.