Thought provoking sounds with just enough thump, cerebral electronics without the pomp; simply put, a wonderful 12” from an artist I’ll be keeping a close ear on.
You’d do well to track down Mike Davis on discogs, he’s the forty seventh entry if you’re curious. But don’t let the lack of a sepulchral pseudonym or machinery moniker fool you, Mr. Davis knows his game. In his short career the Toronto-based producer has already clocked up releases on Drvg Cvltvre’s New York Haunted and Tom Diccio’s Run Out Run. His latest outing, Dreamland, is on his co-owned imprint of Carousel.
Warm currents flow as soon as the needle lands. “Shadowy Lunar Image” employs percussion to give a base to Davis’ ambient abstractions, spiraling echoes and pads being at the heart of this immersive piece. “Voyage to the Seventh” comes from a similar place. Chords are dark and heavy, leaning into the sinister, for a piece that toes the line between soundtrack and techno. 4/4 structures are the scaffolds of “Marauder” and “Dreamland,” Davis employing the timed and tested rhythm pattern to anchor soaring strings and emotive chords. And there is a huge amount of feeling to this record, sparkling synthwork shimmers amidst the thrust and parry of complex beats. Drums are sidelined for the close. “Untitled” showcases another side to this artist. Haunting keys are brushed with gentle clicks and ticks, meandering melodies blurring in and out of focus.
Techno has always been my go to sound. But, it can be very difficult to find artists doing interesting things with this definitive genre. Too hard. Too fast. Too much. Too little. It suffers a bit from Goldilocks’ syndrome. Mike Davis doesn’t, he’s hit the proverbial nail square on the head. Thought provoking sounds with just enough thump, cerebral electronics without the pomp; simply put, a wonderful 12” from an artist I’ll be keeping a close ear on.
Dreamland is available on Carousel.
