Peter Van Hoesen is a very busy man, releasing a whirlwind of records in the past year. At a time when uncompromising techno has been all the rage, Van Hoesen has been exploring the area where the dark sounds of Berghain meet the atmospherics of dub techno. He’s been shaping Time to Express into one of the premier techno labels around with killer records such as this year’s “Attribute One,” and continues the label’s ongoing run of quality releases with Yves De Mey as Sendai.
“System Policy” starts with a snake-like procession of hazy, dubby chords, slithering and writhing around a deep kick drum. Unsteady hi-hats rush in and then quickly fizzle out against the background hisses and drones. Van Hoesen’s remix cuts the track open and in the new found space adds a bouncy bass line serving as a dance floor-minded counterpart to the foggy dub sounds. Soft pads played by Donato Dozzy rear their heads every now and then, adding a touch of moodiness. “Below k-pun One,” however, is the stunner of the pack. Anchored by rough percussion and a deep, growling bass line, it sounds like Sendai went to an old abandoned warehouse and recorded themselves whacking everything in their path with old steel pipes. It’s the dark, dance floor killer of the set, tailor made for the 6 a.m. moments described in the label’s manifesto. If shadowy, immersive techno is your thing, “System Policy” is definitely a record to check out.
Wow very nice, i wish i knew more labels putting out a lot of material like this.
I would check out labels like Sandwell District or the now active again Blueprint for deep techno like this. Also check out van Hoesen’s recent releases on labels other than his own Time to Express.