Model 500 - Control

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  • It's considered polite to relate a bit of biographical detail in these reviews—but quite frankly, is there much point here? Without Juan Atkins and R&S, the dance music map would have big holes in it. Back now on his lonesome for this release, with Mike Banks and Mark Taylor sitting on the subs bench, Atkins offers up two tracks of classic Detroit techno, which still manage to stand well apart from each other. "Control" thrashes along to a clanging, metallic Kraftwerk-style rhythm track, over which Atkins lays a twinkly, scurrying synth line and rising melodic pads. A host of robots add their voices to the tumult. "The Messenger" is an altogether more opulent offering of wobbly, haunting pads, steam-driven beats and cathedral-sized, verdant keyboard phrases. It's left, almost organically it seems, to fade out to a simple soundtrack of raw, crunching, metallic drums. A master at work, pure and simple.
  • Tracklist
      A Control B The Messenger
RA