smashin 4 track techno v/a ep

strong techno vibes on lahar iceland

yagyas rigning album from 2009 is the icelandic producer s most acclaimed dub, techno and minimal masterpiece. due to popular demand, delsin are now re-issuing it across three slabs of vinyl. previously only available as a double pack with eight tracks, the new re-mastered version features all 10 of the tracks from the original cd. gumundsson has been making music for years both solo and as part of the thule musik collective. he is an album specialist who has worked as yagya since 2002 and has put out six albums since then. they come on labels like force inc and sending orbs where rigning was first released and manage to be both absorbing and detailed yet suitable for relaxing background listening. his last two albums, sleepygirls (2014) and stars & dust (2016) appeared on delsin records. rigning is essentially one long track split into movements. it depicts a city sleeping as gentle rain falls and dubbed out grooves zone you out. yagyas style is always patient and slow burning, his grooves are long and drawn out and his pads reach up into the heavens. this whole album in coated in a warm fuzz and is a real comfort on dark, long, cold nights. as insular and melancholic as it is, there is also plenty of beauty in the melodies and delicate keys. from dark and gloomy to more optimistic and meditative, there is a sophistication throughout this always cinematic album that continues to make it stand out nearly a decade after it was first released.

spatial has always been more exploratory than your average stepper, but with his audiovisual (or opti-sonic as he puts it) project primitives, every aspect of his output blooms outward with android rigour.

hot city is dropping some severely skewed house music, twisting it up with his own blend of jackin chicago house, 2step/ukg, and bass bumpers. with only two tracks sent out to a handful of the finest djs around in the past few months, he s secured two gigs playing out at wifey, certainly the most fun club in london at the moment, and managed to generate a fair amount of hype already:
- smash, this is a mega rave hit bro, nice one! - drop the lime (t&b / nyc)
- very nice, thanks for this, will def play it - hudson mowhawke (warp / glasgow)
- i really like both these tracks, kinda minimal garage, very cool - hannah holland (batty bass / london)
the tracks on this new 12 inch build on the momenetum, with two tracks of stripped down dancefloor killers - >yeah!< is a monster builder, all todd edwards style swing and tight edits with crazy deep kicks, chopped up vocals, old school piano stabs, soaring strings, and hands in the air breakdowns. already being played out by drop the lime (check his latest exclusive mix for fact magazine where he opens his set with >yeah!<). >head work< on the b side is on more of a masters at work/harddrive era tip - deep garage beats tripping over themselves, burbling oddity synths, shuffling snares and the weirdest vocal melody breakdown/build-up ever!
the originals are complimented on the 12 inch by two remixes - tvo takes yeah! to another dimension altogther with a head destroying 140bpm hardcore junglist remix. on the flip, san franciscos eats tapes take >head work< into the wonkiest area of minimalist techno, showcasing their totally unique take on future groove.
the ep has been mastered by the irrefutable shawn hatfield/twerks special touch, bringing out the strengths of each track and tweaked for that perfect crisp warm vinyl pressing.