- Icelandic techno label Thule has made a welcome return to the scene in recent years, and now their fledgling US offshoot Strobelight Network has stepped up. Run out of New York by Amaury Arias, the sub-label launched in early 2014 with a wide-ranging, workmanlike compilation EP, The Return, which featured a handful of familiar Thule names. Two and a half years later, Den Nard Husher is behind Strobelight's second transmission. Senida is a four-tracker focused on wonderfully lush techno.
Written and produced by member Jónas Þór Guðmundsson (AKA Ruxpin, Octal Industries), Senida is only the second Den Nard Husher record, following Nard's Groove Vol. 1 in 1999, and it moves at a markedly slower pace. Tracks keep to the neighborhood of 120 BPM and maintain a colorful, atmospheric vibe. "Jotunn"'s sighing synths emerge from a dense thicket of percussion, while "30700"'s misty melodies and sharp but subdued chords swirl above sparse, straightforward drums. "Snotra," playful and alluring, features a sleek, rolling arrangement led by irresistibly crispy high frequencies. With mellow chords and dubbed-out chirps, the title track ends Senida on a contemplative note. It's hard not to be moved by productions as warm and assertive as these.
TracklistA1 Jotunn
A2 30700
B1 Snotra
B2 Senida