I've always seen Len Faki as the odd man out of the Berghain stable. His productions are a little less subtle, his DJing a whole lot more pedal-to-the-metal than the rest. (Check the merciless discography of his Figure label to see which kind of techno he prefers.) Basement Trax is his first EP on Ostgut Ton since 2007's sumptuous "Rainbow Delta," and continues that release's gliding sense of fancy, though it's seemingly more influenced by deep house than its predecessor's prog house.
It's hard to imagine a track evoking Berghain better than "BTX1," all blackened bass and just a hint of melody amidst the wildly panned percussion. A generic "oh" sample provides a tantalizing bit of humanity that's quickly stretched and pulled to oblivion. Replacing it with a perpetual synth chord, "BTX2" is a little friendlier, but it's still got a steam engine fighting underneath. Surprisingly, "BTX3" isn't another techno thumper but an ambient track made of synths, forlorn vocals and what sounds like a flugelhorn. It's a bizarre ending to a decent EP that's otherwise comfortingly routine.
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Tracklist: Len Faki - Basement Trax
 A BTX1
B1 BTX2
B2 BTX3
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