Turunen has cast his gaze backward, looking to the foundations of the sound and what made Techno such an interesting genre when it first emerged.
Muhk Music is one of the most reserved new imprints I know of. I’d guess it was the label’s Swedish disposition, but the brains behind the operation is from Yorkshire. I say reserved as so many imprints are fair fond of self promotion. Muhk doesn’t seem to be. Quietly Muhk debuted with Finland’s Matti Turunen for a quality three tracker of thinking Techno. Quietly to Matti return Muhk for a second installment from one half of Morphology.
The ’90s motif that characterized the excellent Elokuu is present from the needle drop. The title piece is steeped in Detroit. Carl Craig immediately comes to mind. The track starts off in a Deep Techno vein but blooms into a melodic work. The heady vocals, in parts can be a bit much, ring true with that 1990s style, something akin to The Black Dog’s “Cost II.” The flip sees sparks of the UK sound enter. Twinkling backlines and a warm melody are supported by broad bass and clean beats—think Stasis and you’re pretty close. The close comes in the form of “Agrikola.” Cascading chords are twirled into a shimmering flow of harmony, those 4/4 beats lending support for a mesmerizing, and unapologetically nostalgic, finish.
With his Muhk EPs Turunen has demonstrated his subtlety and skill, his ability to sculpt zephyrs of sound against a backdrop of structure and scaffold. Most of today’s Techno has focused on beat, reducing melody to a mere afterthought. Turunen has cast his gaze backward, looking to the foundations of the sound and what made Techno such an interesting genre when it first emerged. This EP transports, it revives a time when I was just discovering electronic music, a time of the Artificial Intelligence series and Red Planet—an exciting time. The more I hear of Turunen’s Techno, the more I want to hear.
Fall is available on Muhk. [Bandcamp]
