A Sagittariun - Slightly Ajar

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  • A Sagittariun's techno has a shape-shifting quality that has evolved across the 15 EPs he's released on his Elastic Dreams label. The Bristol mainstay otherwise known as Nick Harris has avoided typical self-promotion while releasing a diverse array of imaginative club tracks with bright and bold motifs that speak to techno's playful roots. The boisterous "Stingray" is a fine example, opening the Slightly Ajar EP with a muscular rhythm that wouldn't sound out of place on a Surgeon record. It's far from a straight-up drum track, though—the pile-driving percussion is offset by soaring synths that hark back to the sweeter inflections of B12. The tightly wound funk of "An Infinite Number Of Possibilities" has a whiff of Robert Hood in its textural accents, while "720 Degrees" channels early Underground Resistance, especially in its wriggling synth lines. This distillation of influences, while not wholly original, results in techno loaded with character. But it's the mellower tones of "Burning Crystal" that shine brightest, channeling a dubby sensibility that nods to Harris's home town.
  • Tracklist
      A1 Stingray A2 Burning Crystal B1 An Infinite Number Of Possibilities B2 720 Degrees
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