- Galdoors favors a subtle, pared-down aesthetic, but don't call it minimal. The label, a Berlin concern with links to Leeds and Newcastle, owes more than a little to Perlon—their first release even came from Audio Werner, who put out a standout mid-2000s 12-inch for the legendary imprint—but it wouldn't exist without UK dance trends from garage through to Hessle Audio. Galdoors boss Junes has, naturally, embodied that mix of influences as well as any of their other signings. Where his one previous EP, Colours, laid the groundwork, Root Pattern goes one step further, fleshing out the skippy, atmospheric style one might call Galdoors' signature sound.
The title cut is precisely that: a clean path of precision drums cut through icily melodic canyons. In terms of sound design, "Root Pattern" is the record's highlight, sitting at the exact midpoint of well-calibrated danceability and warped, Gas-style ambience. In form, though, it's a bit bloated—Junes could have wrapped up about two minutes earlier, or found a more winding path down the slopes. "Iced" crafts something more engaging out of the same formula, even if its pads lack the same detailed, psychedelic twinge. Here, Junes incorporates a couple of critical breakdowns and resets, which lets him stockpile some much-needed tension while keeping the arrangement uncluttered. His best work yet, though, is "Transfer," a peculiar agglomeration of distortion, dissonance and rhythmic drive. Junes is obviously a fan of adventurous combinations, and somewhere just shy of two minutes, when a reverbed-to-infinity flute cuts in over his well-wrought drums, you can tell he's hit on a special one.
Tracklist01. Root Pattern
02. Transfer
03. Iced