- Dutch producers Gaston Steenkist and René ter Horst should need no introduction. They've been working together under a myriad of guises for the better part of two decades. But while most of their recent output has appeared on their own Pssst Music imprint, their latest bucks the trend and arrives courtesy of Mojuba's aesthetically similar sub-label a.r.t.less.
The two tracks on offer are both remarkable for their complicated arrangements and their rampant self-assuredness. "Spadet" pounds into life with a big tech house bassline and old-school snares ripe for big soundsystems. During its ten minutes, it ducks and runs and blasts its way toward an overall feeling of freedom and casual elation. Whereas the burly marching pace of the percussion is obviously central, it's the melodies that unveil themselves above that capture the most attention and give the most emotionally. With each breakdown, more tones and melodies float into the mix, unravelling and winding together to create a prismic whirl of fast and reassuring sensations.
"M-tech," on the other hand, feels a little more mathematical. A big, simple kick drum opens things alongside what sounds like the call of a new species of digital animal. Gradually, minimal echo tones, scratchy dub pulses, loops of breakbeats and flashing hi-hats are sequentially introduced to create a syncopated montage. The layers are then added and subtracted almost teasingly to show off how dynamic and carefully balanced the structure is. Like, "Spadet," it's a veritable world unto itself.
Tracklist A Spadet
B M-Tech