- Stroboscopic Artefacts gets funky on the first release for its new 10-inch series.
- Of all the words used to describe the techno label Stroboscopic Artefacts, I don't think "funky" comes up often. But that might change with Totem, its new 10-inch vinyl series, which the label says will be about a "wider and warmer sound." True to its word, the central track in the series' first release, Lucy's Tarkomania, moves with a laidback groove, placing it a long way from the droning techno and experimental workouts he usually offers up. The psychedelic tint is still there, heard in the static and tape hiss that wrap around the blunt percussion like fog. A similar effect comes from the anxious Russian monologue, taken from the Andrei Tarkovsky classic Stalker. The mood is eerie but Lucy's soft touch means that, like fellow Italian Dino Sabatini's ethereal techno workouts, this could mix well with the more contemplative end of house.
At around three minutes long, the other two options are less playable. "Tarkomania Dub" is rough with more focus on the high-end, which moves it away from the A-side's soothing aesthetic. The opposite is true of the "Acapella," which sounds like the kind of ambient tune that will receive plenty of play in the opening minutes of a techno night. The next Totem record comes from Luke Slater's L.B. Dub Corp project, so expect more warm tunes that bring Stroboscopic Artefacts to a wider range of DJs.
TracklistA1 Tarkomania
B1 Tarkomania Dub
B2 Tarkomania Acapella