the second release on werk is signed by j. manuel. the young producer has been polishing his sound ever since he first started experimenting with electronic music gear as a child. his commitment to following his own instincts rather than conforming to what was being played around him resulted in a very different aesthetic to the one commonly associated with berlin techno. drive fiction ep stands proof of that. all 3 tracks push boundaries in their own style, that being perhaps the strongest link between them. the title track -drive fiction- presents old-school leads over broken beats and electro inspired pads while the a2 -falling in sine circulation- is arguably the most dance floor oriented track, with a pounding 4×4 kick drum and an alarming 3/4 sine wave slaying the high frequencies. closing the ep is b-side -softer-, a melodic track with long, undulating pads that is nonetheless driven by a powerful rave-inspired beat. with its second release, werk comes to confirm the path it seeks to travel through both parties and releases: that of the sounds less rigid. gritty, wild and presenting a wide range of rhythmic patterns, drive fiction ep is a defying record. challenge accepted?