- Until recently, all of Fx Mchn's music has lived on London Housing Trust. The label has a small roster of producers—including Alphonse, Jamie Blanco and Facade—whose music has tended towards a warm, analogue house sound. Fx Mchn's tracks have mostly stayed within these parameters, and "Dünn," which first appeared on LHT in 2013, is the most striking of these. But lately his music has made room for a broader scope of sounds. His latest EP articulates this crossroads: aside from "Dünn," which now has a second home on Transit, these tracks edge away from the comforting tones of his early work.
If you've seen Daniel Avery DJ recently, "Dünn"'s pulsing bass synths and Chicago-style percussion will sound familiar. It's club music made for big rooms, but "Dünn" feels its way around that space instead of simply flooding it. A melodic bassline churns the track into shape, while a reverb-heavy choral section expands the edges. Roman Flügel's remix maintains the heady mood of the original as it tweaks the locomotive chug into a seasick slab of acid house. Some of the German producer's best work can sound as if it's about to lose its balance, and his overhaul of "Dünn" is easy to fall for.
"Piter De Vries" veers into Kraftwerkian proto-techno, applying weepy acid phrases to metallic clangs and thuds. Downbeat 303 patterns are having a moment, but Fx Mchn's strokes on "Piter De Vries" are more contemplative than sad. "Satan's Monopoly," a digital-only track, digs out an entirely different emotion. As the drowsy toms and snares dribble along, the oxygen seems to escape from its menacing atmosphere. Most of Dünn is built for warehouses, but "Satan's Monopoly" sounds ready for their basements.
TracklistA1. Dünn
A2. Piter De Vries
B1. Dünn (Roman Flügel Remix)
Digital: Satan’s Monopoly