Though Resoe is his primary musical outlet, Copenhagen’s Dennis Bøg also makes up one half of Pattern Repeat where, as diligent LWE readers can tell you, he teams up with Echocord head Kenneth Christiansen. Little surprise, then, that the latest Resoe record — for his own Baum Records — deals in the sort of burly, Chain Reaction-inspired dub techno that’s earned labels like Modern Love, Statik Entertainment, and of course Echocord their many dedicated followers. A-side “Cosmic Blast” is all chunky bass, chiseling high-end percussion, and blurred, wet chords. But where a lot of the deeper end of techno seems to be courting a more meditative listening experience, “Cosmic Blast” is stern and propulsive – destined for club use. If, however, you take your washes of delay with a little more “numb,” you’ll find a deep track for late morning in “Dusty Grounds.” It’s makeup is much the same, but more about atmospherics than thunder. Of course, neither track is going to shock you. Naysayers will groan that they’ve heard this before. Myself, I’m content to enjoy this sturdy example of the genre.
And now on to the eye-catching remix. One of techno’s most vital voices over the last couple years, Norman Nodge is celebrated for a gristly, rough take on techno that’s rarely proved less than devastating. In the case of the “Cosmic Blast” remix included here, though, rough has given way to practically unfinished. Nodge opts for spare treatments, clearing the palette to focus our attention on the echoing ricochets of ominous chords. But there’s “spare” and there’s “something missing;” to my ears, this falls into the latter camp. While Nodge leaves room for a certain “white space” that’s often lacking in the “anxiety techno” of the day, he sacrifices both the bitterness and directness of his MDR records. There’s suspense, but little, if any, build in tension, and the remix ultimately feels like an extended set-up for a big moment for another track. Undoubtedly, plenty of DJs will be too happy to facilitate such a pairing but, on its own, the “Cosmic Blast” remix comes off as an anemic tool. Nodge won’t lose any fans over it, but some may hold their applause until next time.
