Interestingly, DAT Tapes Vol 02 casts light on a style that Jusat is not known for. There are moments of his trademark techno, but it is a more floor centric house that is at the heart of the record. The depth of previous productions is less evident, the explorations on offer being more rhythmic than melodic.
Another side and sound from a legendary of machine music
De:tuned deserve so much praise for so many reasons. Tirelessly, the Belgian label has sought to revive thought-provoking techno, revive IDM and bring talent to speakers. One of their greatest achievements, and there have been many, must be their facilitating of the return of Nurmad Jusat.
For those who might not be up to date on British techno from the 1990s, Jusat (aka Nuron, aka Fugue) was responsible for some of the most beautifully crafted and elegant machine music that came under the banner of IDM. With his Likemind imprint, he gathered fellow analogue enthusiasts and released a small set of sublime EPs. Fast forward thirty years, De:tuned have been working with Jusat to bring lost and unheard tracks to a new audience. DAT Tapes Vol 02 does just that.
The influence of Detroit and Sheffield is immediate in “Beyond Atmosphere.” Globules of bleep orbit brittle layers of beat, warm washes flowing over the entire piece. Nuron’s rhythm programming is second to none, his ability to weave intricate patterns coming to the fore in the melting bass of “Inner Movement” and said ability being the central tenet of the rich percussive palette of “Jungle Frenzy.” In spite of the techno overtures, there is a house undercurrent running through the album. Side-stepping grooves and playful melodies shift and shuffle to crisp clicks in “In the Clubhouse,” a Balearic late evening charm seeping in for the first ever time on a Jusat production.
Sterner drums usher in “Midnight Echo,” a touch of dub resonating in this beat focussed piece. The influences of Chicago reappear with “Sounds of the Backroom.” Scuttling snares and oozing basslines are cut through by chord stabs, the sun rising on this late evening affair. And this is something to keep in mind when listening to this collection, the influence of the club. These pieces were created when raves were dotted around the UK like Little Chefs, a time when dancing till dawn and then clocking in on Monday morning was a given. Perhaps, for this reason, the second 12” of the double LP adopts such dance floor attire. The intros to tracks are lengthy, as in “Viva Cherating.” Ample time is given for a DJ to mix in and out, with the organic textures of bongos and toms being a main feature. A pulsing key arrangement calls time with “Lost in PDMC.” Claps and cowbells coalesce, notes circling to bring the curtain down.
Interestingly, DAT Tapes Vol 02 casts light on a style that Jusat is not known for. There are moments of his trademark techno, but it is a more floor centric house that is at the heart of the record. The depth of previous productions is less evident, the explorations on offer being more rhythmic than melodic. For the first time, another side and sound from a legendary of machine music.
All tracks written & produced by Nurmad Jusat
Mastered by Matt Colton @ Metropolis Mastering
Artwork by Al White
DAT Tapes Vol 02 is available on De:tuned. [Bandcamp]
