Mause brings his trademark modernized, obsessively detailed, and meticulously produced acid techno.
Echoing the hopeful, future-looking sound of 90s electronica
Another brilliant release from what must now surely be the infamous Massage Brain Cult crew. Mause brings his trademark modernized, obsessively detailed, and meticulously produced acid techno. It’s tempting to describe it as pop music because it has such strong, catchy, and accessible melodies, but, the music is firmly, deeply, acid. The palette of sounds is one exclusively of 90s acid synths and drum machines, but the lush sounds that Mause draws out of them would fit in with Brian Eno or Yes. There is also a level of craftsmanship often not found in the more utilitarian dance music of that era, the songs here have elaborate, highly varied structures, which rarely repeat throughout the course of the EP, making it something you’ll have to listen to several times to fully assimilate. Many small flourishes, tweaks and other details are hidden like easter eggs in each track. The overall vibe is a breezy and upbeat feeling, which itself echoes the hopeful, future-looking sound of 90s electronica. It’s refreshing to see acid music still being produced at the level Rephlex once brought to us—it’s tragic that its taken this long for this EP to get released but it’s absolutely worth the wait.
XOR is available on NPM. [Bandcamp]
