- "In Europe, the girls read about feminism," Demian Licht said recently. "But in Latin America, the girls live the feminism, because here you need to be a warrior." A self-released debut of minimalist, Robert Hood-inspired techno, Female Criminals Vol. 1 expands on this idea of womanhood, able to "provoke death" as well as give life. The music is as tough as its concept promises, but the best track, "Sin," also shows a vulnerable side. Manoeuvering around processed guitar notes and darkened ambient tones, Licht loops several takes of a female vocal, layering them so that "sin" sometimes sounds like "insane."
Such moments don't carry over to the other tracks, though "Domina" is no worse for that. Angular arpeggios lend it an ominous energy with a sense of scale to match, but the rhythm, fluid and stringy, is what fuels the sense of threat. Though made from similar ingredients, "Furia"'s oscillating synths don't feel quite as dynamic. The EP's only real misstep is the muscular plod of "Indomitus," whose sonar pulse is an all-too-familiar echo of a certain type of Berghain floor-filler. First in a two-part series, Female Criminals Vol. 1 is a fitfully inspired debut—next time, hopefully Licht can turn her dark impulses into a habit.
Tracklist01. Indomitus
02. Furia
03. Domina
04. Sin