In the past few years the world has seen the balance of power start to shift away from the West — which has dominated for so long — and towards “developing” nations, mostly in the Asian East. This is true in economics but also in various media, where more Eastern figures are beginning to receive their due. Nominally a forward thinking genre, techno and dance music in general haven’t quite kept up with the times; many would struggle to think of an Eastern talent who isn’t from Japan. Singapore’s Xhin has proven one of the exceptions, rising up in tandem with the Stroboscopic Artefacts label as they helped reintroduce in a more industrial bent to the techno scene. Xhin is set to capitalize on this for his second full-length, Sword, which combines his steely, banging beats with more free-form melodic moments, such as this week’s download: “This Is What You Drew When You Were Half Asleep,” the album’s closing piece. While gentle on the ears, its sustained synth and bell tones (and particularly the itchy textures below) give off a sense of apprehension, as if their benevolence is in question. Ultimately nothing abrasive comes to the surface, but the tune allows even Sword‘s closing moments to be gripping as the bruising techno before it. Our thanks to Xhin and Stroboscopic Artefacts for making this track available.

Xhin, “This Is What You Drew While You Were Half Asleep”

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