Boltfish Recordings is one record label to come out of Britain which has managed to maintain a steady stream of high quality material. The label’s latest offering is no exception. Joseph Auer is the most recent artist to come to the Boltfish batch. Auer comes here with his first full length endeavor, Inner Galaxies. But how has this release faired up in comparison to Boltfish’s reputable back catalogue?
One thing which immediately hits home on listening to Inner Galaxies is the musical style that Auer has taken. In a sea of ever expanding electronica albums, singles and EP’s, Auer has taken a step back into the roots of electronic music, techno. This is not pumping, noise bleed, speed techno, not by any means. This is techno, definitely Detroit and Artificial Intelligence influenced, that is soft, sometimes racy, melodic and extremely well constructed. The sounds that Auer has created hark back to the days of The Black Dog, B12, A.R.T. and Likemind. This is techno that is as elegant as it is interesting.
The LP opens with “Club Sunrise II (extended mix),” a light, melodic, almost ambient, track to ease the listener gently into the world of Auer’s music. The album really starts going with the excellent “I Can Feel It Tonight” in which 90’s synthesized sounds twist and turn through some great basslines. A track that sounds like it could have been made fifteen years ago, with all of the feel and energy of those heyday tracks. “Hibiya Night” follows with a dubby feel, smooth bass that leads into aged analog slides.
Auer keeps down the Detroit road throughout the album, echoing the likes of Stasis or Kirk DeGiorgio, whilst adding his own elements. Auer illustrates this in tracks like “Industrial Funk” where aggressive waves slice and dissect the track, cutting through the traditional Detroit sound. While the next track, the title track, “Inner Galaxies,” is 90’s laid back techno through and through. The track rises softly and easily as light crisp beats bob and float in the backdrop. Synths simmer across the piece, producing a melodic, relaxing techno construct.
Auer brings back the dubby sounds of “Hibiya Night” in track eight with “Skies Darken Over Chicago.” This looping, almost house inspired number is as nulling as it is hypnotising. A lulling, droning, work with some real ambient influences; a respite before the acid homage that is “Starknight 303.” “Starknight 303” is relaxed, an ambient techno piece with some superb TB 303 resonations. “Silicon Valley Summer Days” maintains the easy going feel of the album’s latter section. A warm, reverberating work of slight squelches, and gentle beats.
“Save Our Love” builds up the tempo once more. Sharper, more dance floor driven beats shape the track, while the melodic synthlines of the album continue. The solidity of “Save Our Love” moves into “Love Disco Love (Analog House Mix),” a housy electro style track that keeps those dreamy synths echoing and the beats crisp. The album ends in the same upbeat mode as its last two predecessors. Well constructed, bassy chords skate across a pond of icicle like snares. An excellent track to end an excellent album.
Auer has accomplished an extremely difficult task, producing a techno album with all the sounds and skills of the 90’s techno masters in 2006. Inner Galaxies has the feel of an early Warp Records album, the expertise of an A13 release, the intelligence of a Black Dog Production. Auer has created a techno album with all the genius of the past techno artists. This is a release, and an artist to watch out for. An amazing album with, hopefully, much more to come.
Inner Galaxies is out now on Boltfish.
