- Frank Sweeney had himself a small moment back in 2012, when his music caught the attention of Jamie xx and local label Major Problems released his first single as Frank B, "Chain Of Fools." But the Dublin DJ and producer soon dropped the soulful house project to focus on Sias, his alias for more experimental dance music. Milk Harbour is the second Sias record, and follows 2014's eclectic Office Of Public Works with three concentrated blasts of blown-out, acidic techno. It's not an unusual sound by any stretch, but Sweeney finds interesting ways of twisting the formula in places.
Though it's easily the EP's least danceable tune, "4-7-8" stands out for its thick tension and relentless, Suicide-esque drum machine. It's altogether simplistic, maybe even derivative, and yet its blend of early post-punk energy and nascent techno would be intoxicating at the right time. "Daba" and "Milk Harbor" are far more versatile, with their club-friendly beats and distorted 303 sequences, which actually makes them replaceable in this realm of gnarled dance music. Sweeney does good work managing the dynamic intensity of his title track and creating a sinister sound world in "Daba," but there's otherwise little else that's remarkable about them.
TracklistA1 Daba
A2 4-7-8
B1 Milk Harbour