Poldermodel - Polder

Poldermodel

Polder [Intacto]

#08 in this month's The 20

• Section: Music Reviews Topics: The 20
• Written by: Terry Church

Dutch duo Polder (Lauhaus and David Labejj) are an act right at the forefront of minimal techno, having pushed the sound towards groovier, more infectious bass-ridden music.

Paco Osuna, Adam Beyer and Loco Dice are big supporters of Polder, having included many of the pair’s tracks in their DJ sets, and here on ‘Poldermodel’ Polder show why they’re one of the most respected crews in techno with a formidable collection of new and older material.

The LP features a selection of quality dancefloor-focused minimal and it’s quite staggering how so much of the album is wrapped around a killer groove.

From the off, this is one record destined for the sweaty techno afterparty, with ‘11th Floor’ (no doubt named after Amsterdam’s famous Club 11, a club which resides on the 11th floor of a tower block) inviting the dancefloor into a squelchy acid trip.

‘Caretaker’ and ‘Ginger’ dribble along on a bed of bleeps and bass, with the latter built around a stripped back loop that gets more melodic in the breakdown before a white noise build welcomes back a booty shaking bleep.

Luciano-style minimal also features in the form of ‘Tofudog’ and ‘Strange Ways’ (for anyone who doesn’t know Luciano, his music could be described as trippy, funky techno and house), which both benefit from irregular drum patterns and subtle FX.

Those that prefer their techno with a dash of house should check out ‘Bondage’, which features a superb rolling bassline underneath a simple undulating synth, whilst ‘Dirty’ and ‘Frisky’ are - as their names suggest - excited, quick moving numbers with plenty of bass.

Ultimately, ‘Poldermodel’ is Polder’s crowning glory – a perfect example of how to do stripped back techno in a funky, attention-keeping way.

The tracks on the album are available to purchase separately, but for those of you thinking about checking out the full album there’s also a bonus DJ mix, a set that shows how Polder wanted their LP to be heard.

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