- The Traffic Records crew understandably release most of their best material on their own label. But Bodin, Jacob, Martyné and co. dropped high-quality gear on other outlets last year, some of which slipped under the radar. Tracks like "Adlib" and "Tekken5" would have been standouts on any of the recent Traffic EPs. Scale is their latest trip away from the Traffic stable, but it sees the Offenbach boys stay closer to home, arriving through studio neighbours Frost and Einzelkind's Pressure Traxx label.
It's been a while since we've seen Traffic productions take up a whole side of wax. Both tracks run for ten minutes and reflect the crew's early interest in the Romanian style of minimal house. But unlike those insular, narcotic productions from the early '10s, this is kooky stuff. Bodin's "Rhythmic Technology" could be his biggest banger yet. The bleep-style lead and vocoded vocals are almost amusingly old school, and the gloopy bassline has a viscous quality that keeps dance floors moving for the whole ten minutes.
Martyné and Jacob's track, "Elten Live," hues closer to the established Traffic style. Their signature combination of weaving bass, cute-yet-odd melodies and zippy percussion is in full flower, and the longer length emphasises how complex yet digestible their work is. There are a lot wacky details in the mix but the groove is warm and welcoming. Traffic hasn't missed in around four years, and Scale shows that their purple patch shows no sign of fizzling out.
TracklistA Martyné & Jacob - Elten Live
B Bodin - Rhythmic Technology