Artist: Jeroen Search
Title: SPC Z
Label: Figure
Released: Out Now
Genre: Techno
Figure SPC Z brings to a conclusion, what can be best described as a success story for Figure, allowing Jeroen to initiate proceedings in 2009 it seems apt to conclude the series. It’s a usual foray of Jeroen’s exceptional skills. An artist who has a knack of creating grooves that are infectious and this album is no exception to the rule. It thuds and hisses along in Jeroen’s usual record in in one take, 909’s never sounded so polished.
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We braved the arctic blast and ventured up to Glasgow to see the return of Glasgow’s prodigal son, Lars Sandberg (aka Funk D'Void) for a hometown gig on New Year’s EveHis process of single live takes on all tracks allows him to explore his understanding of Techno. This aids him to understand its symmetry and electronic poetry that’s good for every part of a night out, be it as a warm up set or an after hours one. The album schmoozes through with exact grace, beginning with ‘Not for the Young ‘and its hypnotic bass and clap combo with distorted delayed vocals layered on top to hoover you in. ‘Metta’ grabs you in Jeroen’s infectious hiss of hi-hat and synth rhythm, crash cymbals and straight hats, mixing up on opens and crash hats.
‘Upeka’ I imagine it to be rocking many a daytime parties and festivals around Europe. It’s a synth heaven that entices the listener to its last breath. ‘Tensile Force’ drives along with magnetic shakers and the hats coupled with the haunting synths, hypnotises you as its progresses. Subtle switches and change ups on strings and hats liven up a hypnotic synth that perturbs to precise intelligence. ‘Compressive Strength’ offers wonderful atmospherics and awesome play with strings and cut off filters really spatially. ‘Karuna’ bleeps and bloops in precise acid off a simple four to the floor low end throughout and a very track within any time slot for a DJ.
‘Fighting my own Demons’ has what is like a metallic percussion layered over toms and shuffling in between the slightly distorted hats. ‘Basic Language’ is heavy on synthesis and the slight modulations throughout holds the listeners interest. ‘Mudita’ closes off the album, a kind of progressive techno sound; think Fengler or late 90’s Digweed but a nice twist to close off this release. As for the album, it plays like a long play utilising an army of opens, closed hi-hats and hypnotic synths combine an almost organic structure, while samples echo and effect over with simple string melodies haunt. It’s effective in its simplicity.
