- After diving into techno's deepest recesses with Marcel Dettmann, Norman Nodge, DVS1 and Terrence Dixon, Manchester's Prime Numbers have apparently decided to linger a little longer in the shadows. This time they've linked up with Nick Sinna, whose debut release thrums with dark electricity. Jerking and snapping like a live wire dropped in water, "Voyager" definitely has a little bit of Drexciya in its DNA, a lineage played out in queasy, dissonant synths and raw drum work. "Momentary" rises back towards the light, with soft pads cresting hopefully over a waterlogged murk and determined 909 hi-hats.
With "Kick the Habit," though, it's straight into the heart of mayhem. The mid-range synths have the ragged feel of vintage EBM, the tumbling melody turns Jeff Mills' "The Bells" on its head, and the high-end is a riot of string vamps, laser zaps, cowbells and sirens. With all those fireworks, you might not even notice the depth charges below, as an 808 mimics a walking bassline with tuned toms, or something to that effect. Finally, "Real Time" takes a victory lap through a cavernous expanse of tri-tones, flashing cymbals and pile-driving kicks, like Robert Hood as heard from the back of an airplane hangar.
TracklistA Voyager
B Kick The Habit
C Momentary
D Real Time