ROBERTO – RINGS OF SMOKE EP

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Artist : Roberto

Title : Rings Of Smoke EP

Label : Fachwerk Records

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Cat : FW031

Release : Feb 3rd 2014

Genre : Techno

Review by Andy Howarth

London based up-and-coming Techno producer Roberto really hits it big with a release on Mike Dehnert well-respected Fachwerk imprint. Not only that, but he’s drafted in established hero Envoy for the collaboration as well.

Roberto’s title track ‘Rings Of Smoke’ is an acid-tinged roller that doesn’t scrimp on the bass. His trademark Detroit sound is still prominent throughout, and the track is eerily reminiscent of Slam’s seminal club-destroyer ‘Positive Education’, which is certainly very high praise. Envoys commanding vocal is expertly manipulated to enhance the build of the track, and by the time it drops back in you should be witnessing a fairly vigorous response from the crowd.

Backing this up is B-side track ‘You Will Rise Again’ which dispenses with the vocals, but retains the chord arrangement. It comes across as a dub version of ‘Rings’, and will no doubt appease those who aren’t a fan of vox-laced Techno.

Label boss Mike Dehnert is first on the scene with his brutal remix workout, and completely re-arranges the track to give prominence to his thundering drums. When pitched alongside the beats, Envoy’s cries of “well what have we here?” echo almost as a warning for the gloriously abrasive synth stabs yet to come, and give the track a sinister feel that’s guaranteed to elicit a few gurns from the direction of the dancefloor.

Roman Lindau concludes proceedings with his stripped back rendition that focuses on the rolling alarms of his chord arrangement. It’s not quite up to the onslaught already laid out by Dehnert and unless you’re a fan of Lindau’s work (which I suspect many of you are), you might find it a tad repetitive. Still, each to their own, and the production levels showcased here by Roman are of an exceptionally high quality.

All in all it’s an accomplished debut from one of the rising stars of the UK Techno scene and one that should pave the way for a plethora of high-profile releases in the year ahead… Just cause for the Techno fraternity to rejoice.


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About the Author

Born of the Oxfordshire countryside, Andy has always preferred the quaint aspects of life around a historic city to the hustle and bustle of places like London or Birmingham. That said, the desire to satisfy his thirst for live music has led to him fleeing the tranquility of rural life on a regular basis, in favour of regions where the nightlife doesn't have to come to an abrupt end at 3am.