a year on from luigi tozzi and label head dino sabatinis collaborative manticora ep, outis return with a striking, singular solo work from tozzi. ecate ep sees the roman producer bringing three distinct slices of techno, each with its own set of subtleties and the crystal, adept sound design that defines tozzi’s work. spanning the a-side is ecate. this title track is rolling and hypnotic, with muscular, percussive bass. throughout the track, angelic chords come and go, washing the listener in euphoria. alongside, we hear a disorienting melody, grounded by the lightly swung four to the floor kick that gives this track an infectious groove. the flip opens with leto, which immediately defines itself as a club track with an unbroken but evolving set of percussion and a weighty kick. its around this kick that other elements build. we hear long, ringing, resonant string sounds, and a bell like melody morph and unfold as other percussive components come and go. the track falls away into atmospheric eeriness, which perfectly sets the stage for the eps finale. esperedes swung, panning drums give it a disorienting feeling of otherworldliness from the get go. this is before youre greeted by an alien, slightly dubbed out melody and a hanting backing drone that feels like a reference (perhaps in opposition) to the angelic chords of the eps first track. its on this closing track that tozzis delicate, expert sound design best shines through, and really has to be heard to be understood.

it’s a match made in heaven, techno veteran dino sabatini meets up and coming talent luigi tozzi, who over the last couple of years has delivered stellar eps for the likes of hypnus records, dynamic reflection, mental modern, and sabatini’s own outis music. anyone familiar with the two will know they share an aptitude for adventurous and evolving techno. this is crystallised in this collaboration, which doesn’t take the easy path of creating straightforward club tracks. instead, the three tracks on this release explore the subtler sides of the two producers. that’s not to say this isn’t club music - it is - but they have a lot more to offer than pure functionality. the ep opens with manticora. this eight-minute experience takes the listener through winding claustrophobia as ringing feedback pulses across the stereo field and cavernous rhythms dance about, hard to quite grab. these rhythms build to a point to which they solidify and fall into place, a point at which the track gains a feeling of propulsion, alongside shifting and emotive reverberations and resonances. next up is celeno, a track that slowly unravels under a backing of shuffling hats and a rolling kick drum. twinkling synths swirl around before giving way to a rhythmic and compelling melody. celeno’s musical themes continue into the third and final track, aello, which eases you in with softer drums while a haunting drone builds up. over this, ghostly arpeggios develop alongside weightier drums that carry the track through until the end, leaving just enough time for the drone to ring out and provide a fitting end to the ep.