- Ever get one of those moments on a jumbo jet when you’re crossing continents filled with hope for better times ahead? 'The e-Motion Sequence' is the soundtrack to that.
Many readers will know Watson from his recent RA podcast, or perhaps his track ‘Renaissance’ issued on Planet E late last year, but in fact the Scottish producer has been plowing his own distinct vein of lush and organic techno for over a decade. Not much one for genres, Watson has never been an easy producer to categorise. He has released on techno labels (Dave Angel’s Rotation imprint), house labels (Ibadan), progressive-affiliated labels (Omid 16B’s Alola), and even UR’s Submerge output (he’s one of the few non-Detroit artists to do so). This time, his fifth (count ‘em) full length CD arrives on Detroit-inspired Delsin, who seem to have recognised that Watson’s unique talents are very much in line with their own quest to update classic techno signatures.
'Vanishing Point' opens the album on a chirpy note. It’s a rhythmic shuffle with paper hi-hats and a bass that bubbles under the surface, but it’s atypical of what is to come - anyone expecting an entire album of floor-orientated 4/4 rhythms should look elsewhere. Clarity and mindfulness are qualities present in the flowing rivers of the sound of tracks like 'Floating Chamber' and 'Long Way From Home'. Soft, broken rhythms guide the way on the title track, further pushing the album’s attachment to the cerebral domain rather than the more physical atmosphere of any club. ‘MidiSensual' an Aurelon-esque piece, is a reminder of just how well-conceived its big brother was a few moons ago. This track, 'Ioa' (LiveVersion) and the infectious 'Way It's Meant To Be' with its wonderfully, funky bassline, raise the pulse gently, providing a counterbalance to the downtempo feel of the album. Much like 'Meaning of Life' or his remix of Mr. C's 'Siren', these tracks combine the emotional with natural-sound rhythms to create a pacifying techno which is a joy to listen to.
Like much of Vince's work, 'e-Motion' is both delicate yet impossible to stop. 'Fragment 7' is the zenith of the album - a clear night sky full of stars. The final curtain is the beautiful 'Solitude', a melancholic symphony of piano, wispy synths and timid cymbal taps that belies those who ignorantly classify techno as music you should fear. All of this should come as no revelation to those already familiar with Watson, a producer whose instinctual knack of weaving sonic textures with depth and sincerity has won him true fans such as Francois Kevorkian, Joe Clausell, Laurent Garnier and UR.
The clue is in the title – ‘The e-Motion Sequence’ is very much emotional electronic music. Forget genres, forget the latest 'hot' sounds, forget the pressures of society and for one hour and eight minutes tune into something deeper.
Tracklist1 Vanishing Point
2 The eMotion Sequence
3 Ioa - Live Version
4 Floating Chamber
5 Believer
6 MidiSensual
7 Long Way From Home
8 Fragment 7
9 Way It's Meant To Be
10 Soltitude