Peter Van Hoesen - Kelly Criterion EP

  • Unapologetically banging techno.
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  • The Kelly Criterion is a mathematical formula, developed by the scientific researcher J.L. Kelly in the 1950s, that's used in sports betting and financial markets to maximise a possible return. With his new Center 91 label, Peter Van Hoesen has made a wager of his own: that the time is right for an unapologetically banging techno label. But let's be honest, the Belgian artist could have bet the house. It's difficult to think of a moment in recent history in which an appetite for tough stuff has been so widespread. Following February's Opal Balance, on the Kelly Criterion EP we get four more techno heaters, apparently inspired by Belgium's '90s warehouse scene. Let's not forget that Van Hoesen's usual techno is hardly shy. The difference between him and plenty of his peers, though, is a certain deft touch, an approach to sound design that emphasises close listening and novel tones and textures. This carries over to the new context here, albeit with slightly varied results. The roaring leads on the title track certainly stand out, but they're on the wrong side of the fine line between thrillingly dissonant and irritatingly shrill. "Second Hologram Rose" better executes this kind of synth, and is helped along by an off-beat bassline that's as effective as it is simple. "Trim The Facts" and "Dead Man's Catch," for me the standouts, are the type of tracks for when the sense of time and space on a dance floor has been completely lost. The massive and possibly divisive LFOs on "Dead Man's Catch" mean it'd take a skilled or lucky DJ to guage exactly its right moment, while "Trim The Facts," with its crispy drums, mean bassline and mind-warping synths, would stand out even after a long session of bangers.
  • Tracklist
      A1 Second Hologram Rose A2 Trim the Facts B1 Kelly Criterion B2 Dead Mans Catch
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