Nathan Fake probably didn’t know what waves were being made when he first started combining a love of techno, Orbital and sped up Boards Of Canada records. A unique brand of IDM influenced techno was born, but like the pebble that made the waves, Fake is onto sonic pastures new. In the void left behind, a number of artists have stepped in to rescue the shivering and shaking masses pleading for more heartfelt beats. Applescal is one of the more interesting artists to step into the fray, those tell tale FM synths are there for all to hear yet he doesn’t feel the need to shamelessly recreate The Sky Was Pink with every single release.
This EP will be one that challenges DJs and personally I’ve been enjoying them while strolling through the overcast Manchester cityside. The tracks feel no need to gracefully introduce themselves and are more than happy to whip the rug out from under your feet in an aural collapse to finish, beat intros and outros be damned.
El Diablo drones along with proud chords rising in intensity over a crisp, bright break before falling away suddenly. As surprise kicks in at this dramatic collapse we are ushered onto Mr Cold, a breaks track that cocoons in gentle waters and dancing 3/4 arpeggios, calming the heart after the big drop at the end of El Diablo. Be thankful for the calm because No Offense cuts through like an irritated wasp, lurching menacingly around with a totally unnecessary bassline and is utterly fabulous for doing so. Its not that it is bassy per-se, just ever so slightly more drunken than your average office Christmas party, like Tron meets dubstep (the good dubstep) meets Absinthe.
So what happens now? Is this the point where I summarise and tell you exactly why you should be parting with your hard earned at this difficult time of year? No. This is where I tell you to scroll down and click on the Soundcloud link player below and download the entire EP. RTFKT appear to be a delightful collective intent on sharing sounds with you ungrateful keyboard mashers for the grand sum of zero pounds. Yes, hang your heads in shame. So with a bit of a coup, they have a Traum artist as their first release. Consider this a Christmas present from myself, happy downloading.
Release Date: Out Now [FREE DOWNLOAD]
Words: fourfourfun
RTFKT 01 – Applescal – El Diablo (Free!) EP by RTFKT.net | Collective
