It isn’t hard to imagine Alexey Volkov as some sort of techno blacksmith, hammering away at his dark creations in some secretive Central-European warehouse. His new Interwave EP, dropping on Planete Rouge Records, is something you will definitely not want to miss. A solid, mechanical beast that engulfs the listener, taking them on a journey through the harsh soundscapes of the Russian producer’s mind.
Volkov has moved slightly away from the bass and echo of his 2013 Noble EP to bring you a different, more mature sound. His skills are evident as he aggressively fuses a range of styles without the music sounding indulgent or forced. Though the songs pulse away at 128 bpm, they crawl with experimental sample-work which fluctuates over the kick drum and makes the tracks seem slower than they are.
The resultant late-night dance-hall darkness and carefully crafted atmosphere really makes the EP worth a listen. Opener Slow Motion seems like a fairly standard Germanic tech track but quickly morphs into something a little more intriguing than your average set-filler. With all its stuttering samples and crunchy synth it very much sets the precedent for what is to follow.
Interwave is easily the most atmospheric and absorbing of the set- a jittery snare that carries the listener through whilst gravelly synths swells around them. When it disappears, the tension grows and Volkov is at his best when it all comes crashing back down. Oh, and as an aside anyone who can still incorporate conversation samples into breakdowns without coming off like they’re stuck in 2011, is definitely worth your attention.
Appearances and Stigmata are again different entities in their own rights and do well at showing off the producer’s versatility. The former uses distant horn samples over a dense, shifting collection of drums in a kind of minimalist big-beat style, meanwhile the latter stands out as the least experimental of the four. Coming across almost like a tribute to the dark minimal-techno scene that Volkov draws from, it plays the EP out well.
