- Parisian label DEMENT3D, known in recent years as a bastion of intense, experimentally inclined techno, looks to a new name with Ligovskoï's double-vinyl Dilip EP. Ligovskoï is Nikolaï Azonov and Valerio Selig, and for their DEMENT3D debut (and first full studio release) the duo have crafted four succinct and splendidly melancholy ambient tracks. While all feel almost teary-eyed, they're crystal clear in sound design, a DEMENT3D trademark. "Labiate" sets the scene, its soft drones a constant presence among clouds of distortion, short piano motifs and a few bass throbs. "Goha" is nearly dirge-like, with synths peeling away to reveal a poignant minor-key section near the end. "G.Y." and "Dilip" are similar, with sustained notes and bits of digital noise. In the middle of "G.Y." the duo catches what sounds like an echo-laden fragment of some far-off voice, while the title track, with its downcast melodic roaming, is another slow-motion swoon.
First on the beat-oriented remixes record is In Aeternam Vale's ominous approach to "G.Y.," which uses a cleverly arranged low-end and gloomy repeated chords to amp up the tension. Abdulla Rashim, back on the label following last year's rework of Polar Inertia, shares his vision of deep, emotional techno with a remix of "Labiate" that's a perfect complement to the glacial original—it's a warm, 90-BPM cut layered with bubbling tones. Two floor-ready collaborative versions complete the package. Antigone and DEMENT3D co-founder Francois X basically flip "Dilip" upside down and turn in a sleek, driving track, while the nearly 11-minute take on "Goha" from HBTVSK (the label's other co-founder, Heartbeat, alongside Voiski) fits it to insistent percussive shuffles. Ambient fans will likely keep to the two more restrained remixes, or just stay tucked in with Ligovskoï's spellbinding soundscapes.
TracklistA1 Labiate
A2 Goha
B1 G.Y.
B2 Dilip
C1 G.Y. (In Aeternam Vale Remix)
C2 Labiate (Abdulla Rashim Remix)
D1 Dilip (Antigone And François X Remix)
D2 Goha (HBTVSK Remix)