Multiples (Speedy J & Surgeon) :: Two Hours Or Something (STOOR)

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Without the limitations of an hour-long set or the expectation of a dancefloor, Two Hours Or Something showcases what happens when two such artists can cut loose for days on end and test the limits of their imaginations. ~ Press Release

Two heavyweight synth explorers

In a formidable display of freeform techno from two masters of the art, STOOR present the first recorded work from Speedy J and Surgeon as Multiples. Fully improvised, unedited and fueled by raw instinct, this extended album captures two heavyweight synth explorers going deep into their assembled tools, holed up in the STOOR facility in Rotterdam for two days letting their intuition lead into distinctive, daring sonic territory.

This 51st release in STOOR’s series is also the first time they are pressing the album in a plant for wider distribution, marking a departure from the limited edition lathe cuts they produced in-house for the first 50 releases. There will, however, be a deluxe edition of Two Hours Or Something produced at STOOR with a bonus lathe-cut disc of additional material for the diehard fans.

As pioneers of European techno from their respective starting points in the early 90s, Jochem ‘Speedy J’ Paap and Anthony ‘Surgeon’ Child have pushed the envelope in tandem. It’s only more recently they’ve come together as kindred spirits with a love of live, improvised techno, resulting in scattered festival and club appearances as Multiples. With decades of expertise in their toolkit (along with some highly desirable gear), they’re the kind of artists who can hit record, fire up the sequencers and jump right into the unknown for an audience of thousands.

Without the limitations of an hour-long set or the expectation of a dancefloor, Two Hours Or Something showcases what happens when two such artists can cut loose for days on end and test the limits of their imaginations. There was no overarching plan when they entered Paap’s STOOR lab, just a desire to jam and see where they end up, and the untampered results pulled from the sessions are as surprising as they are accomplished.

As you might expect, there is space for expressive ambience and sound design. The title track is a mesmerizing, dissonant chamber of sustained notes and pin-prick ripples which give way to a labyrinth of needlepoint electronica. “The Dog’s Name” cycles through delay-soaked synth figures and grandiose pad tones steeped in implacable emotional intensity.

And from two learned scholars of the kick drum, there are of course some propulsive dancefloor moments as well. “Spirit” is a pummeling slice of electro drum pressure which blooms into a melodic masterpiece over the course of 11 minutes. “System Down” revels in atonal half-time techno, and “Coffee Nerd” captures the tweaked mischief and twitchy tempo of braindance.

Tracks rarely finish where they started, and they evolve with a dexterity which speaks to the minds involved and the machines in front of them. As 15-minute closer “Train To Hoofddorp” — exclusive to the deluxe lathe-cut edition — confirms, letting Multiples roam free will take you to very unpredictable, intriguing spaces indeed.

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