V/A :: MTRON002 (Mechatronica)

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Mechatronica is fresh into 2017 with a second compilation of machine funk. Building on their first record, the German label has drafted in a medley of machine musicians to give voice to a cold future.

January is not a month people like. August. May. December. Once the new year has been rung in where’s January? Being spat on from a height it seems. My own hasn’t been the best. Busy, but not the best. Dealt with moving house, which I’m still dealing with. Work. The administration of adopting cats, that’s right. And sadly music has taken a backseat, in fact my turntables aren’t properly set up yet. Despite this, despite the challenges of the dreaded month, there’s always time for some electro.

Mechatronica is fresh into 2017 with a second compilation of machine funk. The 12” balances stalwarts of the colder electronics scene with lesser known acts. One the latter is Fleck E.S.C., a French artist who has mostly plied his trade on digital. “Dimmer Set Up” is his offering, a nasty knob jerking romp down dark alleys. Dez Williams, a man who is finally beginning to get the recognition he deserves, delivers a similarly sinister piece. “Only Way I Know” has all the makings of a video-game soundtrack gone wrong. Vocoder samples blip and bleep in a haze of piercing percussion, static raining down on this pared back parade. Umwelt follows, driving a snare through the heart of the record. Darkened keys loom, overshadowing all with a distant and dehumanized groove. Another upcoming member of the electro syndicate, Dmitry Distant, has teamed up with Igors Vorobjovs for the ice clad “Cold Scape.” Freezer burn bass lines are bitten by beats, warming chords cascading into hiss.

I’m just beginning to find my feet in 2017. World turmoil and personal change, the usual palaver. Mechatronica have certainly found theirs. Building on their first record, the German label has drafted in a medley of machine musicians to give voice to a cold future. Happy February!

MTRON002 is available on Mechatronica.

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