The Imitator is a real treat from start to finish. Sublime pieces of lovingly crafted music that returns to the complex principle of texture and tone, the building blocks of techno that many forgot along the route to big rooms and breaks. A contemporary composer who doesn’t stand on the shoulders of past masters, he stands next to them.
Consistently, Distant Worlds has impressed. From its first vinyl outings with John Shima and Derek Carr to Mihail P and Perseus Traxx, the UK label has been pressing musical gold. Their latest recruit comes with an impressive C.V., having featured on Endless Illusion, M>O>S and Titantic City to name but a few, and an enviable ear for quality, Stephen Lopkin.
I first came across this Glaswegian a few years back. His style isn’t forged in the fire and brimstone of the clubs of Scotland’s largest city, nor does it come from its stark landscape and industrial echoes. Instead, Lopkin is a student of the halcyon days of techno and, to be more precise, the halcyon days of British techno. Schooled on B12, Stasis and the Artificial Intelligence series, the man of the Clyde draws his inspiration from the textures and warmth of the 1990s. The title, The Imitator, alludes in a self-deprecating way to importance of these sounds in Lopkin’s musical formation, but the Glasgow musician is anything but a copycat.
The title piece is delicately crafted work of soulful future funk. Deep layers of bass are drizzled with brittle shards of percussion over which sail silken lines of star speckled synthwork. A superbly absorbing opener. “The 45” starts like a classic album interlude, understated notes introduce before daringly sheer notes echo and spike skyward. There is something in here too, some nod to track that I can’t for the life of me figure out; cracking piece. The flip takes on a more muscular aspect. Toms tumble and a chord stands tall from the needle drop of “DSK-8.” In to this tumultuous mix are dropped jazz infused keys that lean into bubbling acid undertones. The entire 12” is unrestrained, but true throwing of caution to the wind comes with “Theme From Distant Worlds.” A medley of machined melodies, steady beats and outer-rim bleeps that Lopkin manages and manipulated with a deft touch.
The Imitator is a real treat from start to finish. Sublime pieces of lovingly crafted music that returns to the complex principle of texture and tone, the building blocks of techno that many forgot along the route to big rooms and breaks. A contemporary composer who doesn’t stand on the shoulders of past masters, he stands next to them.
The Imitator is available on Distant Worlds.
