- The DC duo show that even blindingly fast techno can have detail and atmosphere.
- "All the parts have a better glue when you speed it up," Rush Plus's Jackson Ryland told the Washington Post. "And when you start to slice that space between sounds, it might create a third sound that you didn't hear." Ryland and his production partner, Jus Nowhere, have been uncovering that third sound since they launched Rush Plus in 2016. Three self-released records attacked the contemporary warehouse techno formula with flair and ever-increasing velocity, turning heads in the wider scene. In March, a fellow Washingtonian, Ambivalent, released the dank, droning Dog House on his Valence label. But this record for E-Missions is the moment when that third sound—the spark that turns a techno tool into a transcendental spine tingler—really comes into earshot.
Yes, this is partly to do with speed—these tracks tick along either side of 140 BPM—but it's also about intensity in a broader sense. The duo's drums have a ragged, loose quality that makes them feel more energetic, and their atmospheres seethe and ripple with unusual volatility. The mixdowns could be crisper, but the tracks' unusual sonic qualities also help them stand out. When deployed at the right moment, they offer just what the duo's name suggests: a superior serotonin rush.
The EP eases in, relatively speaking, with "Megabust," a dense study of polyrhythmic synth loops and syncopated kicks. "Slow Release" and "Sweat" slip into a straighter groove. "Sweat" is the more striking thanks to its manic swing and bouncing tritonal hook, but both are superlative high-velocity tools. The EP's crowning glory, though, is "Rebirth." The drums, a scything avalanche of claps and shakers, are particularly intense, and they are offset by euphoric chords. Wait till you hear these tracks on a big system. "There's a disorientation to it," Ryland said to the Post. "That out-of-body experience thing."
TracklistA1 Megabust
A2 Rebirth
B1 Sweat
B2 Slow Release