[Inner Surface Music]

Andrew Langfield, best known as Wireman, is not a producer who seems predisposed to selling music. His first and only official release, the Armour EP, arrived in 2008 on Prime Numbers, and its chimeric sound was so popular the record didn’t last long in shops. That’s not to say he’s been silent in the meantime. To the contrary, his SoundCloud page is rich with unreleased tracks which further expand on the wealth of styles found on his EP. So it’s fair to be somewhat uncertain how Monobloc, his second EP and the inaugural release of Inner Surface Music, might turn out. The result is unmistakably the work of Langfield but perhaps more focused on techno than his followers might expect.

Monobloc relies less on the dub techno palette so often referenced in his previous work. Yet fizzy, delayed chords still make their way into the record’s strongest cut, “Distance,” ringing out amongst lavishly built pads and assertive 4×4 percussion patterns. The nimbleness of Langfield’s drum programming lends a certain firmness to each track that never comes off as heaviness, allowing each to be played in a range of DJs’ sets. The record opens at its most utilitarian with the title track’s dry bite; its hi-hats, claps and synth trade off rapid fire patterns that leave plenty of space to check for bullet holes. “To The Sleeper” bends minor chords and busts out generously affected synth leads that seem compatible with house tracks, recalling his own “Armour” and the music of A Made Up Sound. Managing to be versatile and coherent, Langfield’s sophomore record is a boon for patient fans that recruits new ones willing to brave the wait for his next physical release.