[Steadfast]

Incyde, perhaps more recognizable as Hotflush Recordings’ label manager Alex Bishop, debuted on his own label’s latest compilation with the stunning “Axis,” a bassy product that was decidedly heavy on the techno. The alias gets its first official solo release on Brendon Moeller’s Steadfast label, a fine fit for Bishop’s slightly dub-leaning techno fusions.

“Telophase” gets things off on a suitably unstable foot as Bishop plays rather extreme games with panning, lending the track a constantly twirling, seasick feeling as it attempts to hobble on an unsteady kick drum pattern, stumbling and tipping over dangerously in the process. Upping the techno factor, “Traverse” manages to synthesize a somewhat straightforward 4/4 beat and sends delay chords swimming around it in fluid motions, for something that sounds submerged but still perfectly clear. On the flipside, the drums slow down to 123 beats per minute for the darkly-tinted “Sykle,” which sounds like the aqueous environment of “Traverse” evaporated to parched droplets: all distorted blurs, ominous chords and frantically burrowing bass lines. The EP winds down with the gorgeous “Emerald,” which pairs a gruff, powerful rhythm section with dissolute pads that seem to disintegrate into the horizon. On all four tracks Bishop displays an uncanny skill for fluid, fidgety sound design, with sounds roaming across the stereo spectrum as they undergo constant transformation — a dub techno aesthetic applied to a template aligned with the current goings-on in bass music. It’s an incredibly strong debut and makes you wonder why Bishop waited so long to finally unleash his long-incubated productions on the world.