The “double duo” continue to explore the darker shades of techno’s sonic spectrum.
Dronelock operate out of West Yorkshire and Ontal from Serbia, but their shared vision is resulting in productive collaboration. In addition to 4 Razors, an EP on Duality Records, they’ve started operating their own label, Shadow Story. Continuum is its second release, and on it, the “double duo” continue to explore the darker shades of techno’s sonic spectrum.
Opener “Continuum” creaks and moans, then clanks and rattles like a giant factory waking up after decades of neglect. It builds layer upon layer of mechanical rhythm and atmospheric tone until the whole construct lumbers to life. The follow-up remix by Paul Mac introduces a more human, danceable element on top of the original. His grooving high-hat pattern and recognizable build-up/breakdown song structure make for a club track that takes no prisoners.
A second set of original/remix tracks follows, with Lakker on the remix this time. “Soil” is a softer work than “Continuum”, with a delicate, evolving melody line smoothing out the propulsive thump and click of the percussion. Dublin, Ireland-based Lakker keep the melody but slow down the beat into more of a swell-and-drop, which underpins strong, tribal drumming that forms a new spine for their interpretation of the track.
Continuum closes with two unremixed (digital-only) bonus tracks that further explore the aesthetic set out thus far: “Superior Mirage” is a fast-paced bassbin workout with a distant, moody middle section and “Broken Forms” takes industrial music back to the sounds of “industry” (think Einstürtzende Neubauten’s “Krieg In Den Städten” with a stronger backbeat) with pummeling assembly-line roboticism.
Continuum is available now on Shadow Story.
