Tech – Betazero (reviewed by Dave Franklin)

Although this is far from just your regular EDM sound, that isn’t perhaps a bad place to start, “Bust,” the opening track, initially at least, conforms to much of the genre’s elements, a buoyant groove, a shimmering riff, an unmistakable energy and no small amount of 16 bit games soundtrack about it. I mean that in a good way. And just when you are getting accustomed to its light and lilting ways, it just seems to fade out into the sonic equivalent of radio static or the sound of waves crashing on a distant shore, and you realise that all might not be what it seems.

“Eave” wanders between slower and more brooding sonics and the previous spacious lines, and by the time the title track hoves into earshot, you will finally see the sonic scope and musical limits of the music found on Tech.

This is music forged from a few sound elements—liquid electronica, jaunty riffs, minimal beats—a simple sonic elegance that borders the edge of wilful naivety and whose spaciousness and brevity remind you of the soundtrack to early video games.

“Zulu” is, however, slightly richer than I have made things sound above. It is slightly denser in its delivery and heads into the realm of early synth-pop. It is definitely a song that sits easily halfway between the dancefloor hangouts of the futurist, minimal music fans and the music editing suit of the computer games company.

“Eros” is more drifting and dreamlike, with washes of sound punctuated by the trademark gentle drives and staccato solos. “Oath, which rounds things off, is also heading into more cinematic realms, perhaps the sound of the closing credits track for the most underground and cultish sci-fi movie of the year.

Not all music has to fit into easy pigeonholes or be afforded an obvious tag. Tech is a case in point. Across eight tracks, it can hit the downtown dance floor, act as the soundtrack for all manner of media, and create music just for the love of it. It is the sound of a solo operator using a limited amount of sonic hues to paint myriad musical pictures, each with its own identity.

The building blocks throughout might be recognisable, but the sonic architecture built here is a beautiful array of minimalist modern sonic art.

Play TECH