- Anyone seeking further evidence that techno is the new tech house should cue up Anja Schneider's latest EP. Prosperity, a two-track effort for the Berlin veteran's new Sous Music label, packs two tunes better suited to a Rødhåd set than the colourful open-air parties her music has soundtracked for the past 15 years. Schneider, who recently left the long-running Mobilee label she founded with Ralf Kollmann, is the latest artist to pivot from tech house to something harder, delivering two of the toughest tunes of her career.
"Prosperity" is the highlight. A tunnelling techno trip with bell synths, bleeps and a sinister vocal, it's everything you need from a techno tool. The mood is dark and the sound is spacey, recalling the cosmic vibe of modern techno outlets like Mord and Northern Electronics. It's a solid foray into the aesthetic, so don't be surprised to hear it when, say, Speedy J comes to your town. "Signs" is dubbier and feels more connected to Schneider's past tracks, which often featured similar dub techno chords, but it's still hard to hear Schneider's voice inside. She says Sous Music will be "the most personal project of my career," so let's hope she finds a way to inject her own personality into its familiar aesthetic.
Tracklist01. Prosperity
02. Signs