This
is the second vinyl release on the new Italian label Substrato and a sign
of the health and innovation of the Italian scene generally. The
mountain-themed artwork and geological aspect of the label concept
continue a vein of spatial, conceptual, Italian techno already
apparent in the work of Giorgio Gigli and others. Buck is the alias
of Substrato owner Alessandro Stefanio, who also records as OL-047
and Slick Station.
The
title of the opening 'Ambient Progression' isn't an accurate
indicator of what's to come. It's cavernous
and relentless from the start, techno on a grand, panoramic scale.
It's less than seven minutes, but due to its use of deceleration and
acceleration and textural variation, it feels lengthier, in the best
sense. At one point an industrialised Moroderesque sequence comes to
the fore and in the final section a stricter and more minimalistic
mood asserts itself. Its only fault is that it casts a long shadow that the following tracks can't quite escape from.
'Atmo
003' is slower and more introspective. Its coldly futuristic
atmosphere brings to mind the work of the legendary Vapourspace
project from two decades previously.
The
beats drop away for 'On Board', which is a more beatific ambient
piece. Symphonic chords and layered, processed voices are used to
create an atmospheric soundscape.
Dutch
duo Artefakt shift the mood again with an optimistic, uptempo remix
of 'On Board', which initially discards the ambient wash of the
original in favour of a bassline-driven linear agenda. As it proceeds
the ambience of the original is gradually brought back in and finally
re-asserts itself.
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