- Deep house and techno that's both tough and lovely.
- "Slu Terms," the B1 on this new EP from Christopher Rau, has plenty of what I've always liked about him. The German is, by and large, a deep house producer. You can hear this in the synths, chords and atmospheres he has used in his music for the past ten years, and it's there in the watercolour moods of "Slu Terms." Accompanying these sounds are often drums of uncommon brawn. The melodies and drums become synched in a dance of equal and opposing energies, and it's this dance that defines most of The Keys.
"I am a bit surprised about this record," says a fella named MihuT on Discogs, who's reacting to the hard, stuttered beat on "Who Am I." We don't have to wait long for the salve, though, as electric piano chords and keys blossom over the track. Rau maintains this poised balance, so for every nettle-like percussion part there's a sonic dock leaf of pads or keys. "Beamer" is a crisp techno cut with a little Shed-style heaviness that's offset with springtime vibes. "The Keys" is also techy but is the only one that doesn't explore a push-pull effect. Rau seems increasingly interested in pivoting to techno although the standout here, "Slu Terms," is the one most in line with his more traditional styling.
TracklistA1 Who Am I
A2 The Keys
B1 Slu Terms
B2 Beamer