- A lot can be revealed about Akkord, a formerly anonymous collective from Manchester whittled down to the duo of Synkro and Indigo, by their track titles. Names like "The Drums," "Continuum," "Greyscale," and "Monolith" are apt descriptions of their music, while it can't be coincidence that Synkro shares his name with a key Luomo track. Akkord started with techy dubstep, but more recently they've looked to hardcore rave and drum & bass. "RCVR" and "XMTR" (shorthand for "receiver" and "transmitter") land closer to the dance floor than their more experimental productions, which have neon sine waves that recall Raster-Noton. "RCVR" has an amen break and the "Mentasm" hoover, and "XMTR" has a recut hardcore flavor, but neither track is particularly revivalist. A gritty post-industrial texture signifies modernity, placing the music closer to contemporary projects like Raime than the retro sheen of darkstep.
Akkord are skilled at maintaining a techno-style smoothness without killing the funk of their breaks, with build-ups and breakdowns that are dynamic and full of drama. These are neatly executed tracks with euphoric and intense moments, but one can't help but long for brighter sounds with a little less dread.