Empire In Decline / Third Piece

Empire In Decline / Third Piece

Peter Van Hoesen [Time To Express]

28 November, 2008 | 7.28PM

• Written by: Lee Smith
• Filed under: Music Recommendations: peter van hoesen, time to express

It’s been a good year for Brussels-based Peter Van Hoesen, whose gritty, abstract approach to dancefloor techno has won him plaudits from across the techno spectrum.

This third outing on his own Time To Express imprint sees Van Hoesen doing what he does best - no-nonsense, gimmick-free gear that’s ominously sinister and deeply alluring in equal measure.

‘Empire In Decline’ ramps up the reverb for a swung-out masterclass in what the excellent mnmlssgs blog has termed ‘mindfuck techno’ - the kind of disorientating but highly danceable sound that’s often associated with the Berghain crew of DJs and producers.

Mingling classic Basic Channel-ish clanks with a pace and groove more suitable for today’s floors, it’s proof that heavy, dark techno can also be suffused with depth and subtlety.

‘Third Piece’ is crunchier still, working roughly-hewn, distorted percussive fragments over a churning mid-section and urgent rolling bleeps.

Serious stuff from one of this year’s most impressive talents.

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