Artists: Deepbass & Ness, Svarog, Massa, Giorgio Gigli, Repart, Deepbass & Craft, Wrong Assessment, Ben Gibson
Release: Formation 2
Label: Informa Records
Release Date: 17 December 2018
Glaswegian veteran Deepbass enlists the artistry of long-time friends and favourites for a tasteful addition to the already seminal discography of Informa Records. Below is an exclusive mix of the release and a narrative guide through its journey.
Deepbass & Ness – Edo
While the belief that artist names often have a direct meaning is misguided, one can’t help but think that the names Deepbass & Ness sum up a perfect amalgamation of crevasse-like depth and peak-level atmospherics. It is a collaboration that does not disappoint. Grounded, punchy drums keep us begrudgingly terrestrial while twitching highs and billowing melodies teasingly whisk us skyward. Overall, Edo is the sound of dawn.
Svarog – Mavka
Svarog has an uncanny ability to mould shapes with sound. His throbbing basslines on Mavka belie a truly sinister ability to hypnotise, carried over through shifting atmospheres and agile percussion. This is music that tickles the mind and jerks the body unconsciously. A contemplative piece, made for dance floor ritual.
Massa – Ether (Element)
The Spaniard of Hidden Traffic notoriety is known for his penchant for hefty ambience. On Ether (Element) he brings out this artistry through what seems like a tribute to four-to-the-floor tradition but unfurls coyly into a rich blend of engulfing low-end, swayed along by ghostly pads and rousing intrigue. Massa thrives in creating a space for his listeners and this is an excitingly tense room for meditative dance.
Giorgio Gigli – Stone
Stone provides a late-night trip laden with shadowy menace and sinister composition, in characteristic Giorgio Gigli fashion. When the track truly sets off on a run after an ominous opening, the way it elevates and layers itself is sublime. Elements are designed to activate individual responses, all unified by an evocative loop that will keep your feet pounding. A mind-bender, designed for the attentive, discerning raver.
Repart – Svengali
Repart gives us a taste of gritty, hard-hitting four-to-the-floor while his synth-play sneaks up on your mind, tugging at parts of your psyche you probably left beyond your headphones/dance floor. A peak-time belter that still manages to burrow into hidden corners of the mind, this will be a lethal weapon for adherents of old and modern techno alike.
Deepbass & Craft – Persistence
Persistence feels like a narrative of hope springs eternal in an age when hate and division threaten love all around us. It carries in its pensive melodies and nimble percussion a message of holding on, buffeted and harried by the realities of life – herein a resilient low-end. A beautiful collaboration between masters Deepbass and Craft yielding a poignant track, this is a testament to the possibilities of partnerships between soundscape aficionados.
Wrong Assessment – Useless Lights
On Useless Lights, the Italian wonder that is Wrong Assessment creates a sidewinding mesh of cheeky low-slung kick patterns, gyrating sets of hisses, bleeps and hums and a gliding, shimmery aura. The track feels contemplative all-through, never really reaching for frenetic peaks but always prompting us to seek farther within ourselves.
Ben Gibson – Soliloquy
With its solitary overtones of melancholy, Soliloquy tells the story of a soul adrift in the break-neck fast lane of modern life. With its gripping, tribal drums, it forces you into a conversation with self: dreamy and detached as you look back at you. A well-placed stitch in a rich tapestry, Ben Gibson‘s cinematic input captures the essence of the journeys created throughout the compilation.
*
Formation 2 is a solid body of work, fusing influences and approaches expertly to create a thought-provoking montage. That such spaces can be created in techno is not surprising, but that it can be done so repeatedly by Informa Records without monotony is pleasantly so. We hope this is only the start of what will be a long series.