- Describing the vision behind his debut album, Dustin Zahn has come off as something of a techno fundamentalist. "A lot of producers try to show their range on albums by writing music that isn't necessarily their strong point," the Minneapolis-born producer says. "In result, you get a lot of albums with mediocre 'listening' tracks and a couple of token 'club bangers' that should have just been destined for an EP anyway. I decided that I was going to focus on my strengths and write a full-on techno album." Well, rejoice if "full-on techno" is your religion: Monoliths is the sort of firebrand sermon that should inspire faith and devotion in your heart, while drawing yawns from those unconverted to the joys of remorseless pipe-banging.
Apart from the ambient "1984" and dubby "Endless Winter" that bookend the album—and which live up to Zahn's self-fulfilling prophecy by being pretty mediocre—everything here vibrates with a kinetic energy that would cause carnage in one of Zahn's sets. The influence of his adopted home of Berlin can be felt in tracks like "Fire In The Sky," although the spit and polish he gives his beats owes more to the minimal sound that dominated Watergate circa 2006 than the heavier style currently reigning at Berghain. The disembodied voices and pounding drums of "Miss You" recall the tribal house sound plied by the likes of John Creamer and Stephane K a decade ago. But the backbone of Monoliths is the hard and loopy techno style favoured by Drumcode boss (and longtime Zahn supporter) Adam Beyer.
From the moment "District Of Light" reaches full velocity with its shout of "bring the lights down!," it's like you're being powered forward with the force of a speeding train. And just like a train, Monoliths seems stuck on one straight route. It will sound all well and good when you're locked in on the dance floor, but by the time you reach the searing warehouse roller "Insatiable Hunger," you're probably beginning to flag at home. On nearly every tune the hi-hats arrive with all the regularity of a train timetable, and soon begin to feel about as exciting as the experience of reading one.
In the 16 years he's been making EPs for the likes of Drumcode, CLR and his own Enemy imprint, Zahn has demonstrated himself to be a solid if unspectacular producer. That goes for his debut album as well. Anyone acquainted with 12-inches like 2009's Sky Is Falling will know exactly what to expect here. After all, Zahn wouldn't be the first fundamentalist who doesn't seem too keen on the idea of evolution.
Tracklist01. 1984
02. District Of Light
03. Against The Grain
04. Jumping Off
05. Fire In The Sky
06. Miss You
07. Deus Ex Machina
08. Deny Fate
09. Sundays In Berlin
10. Insatiable Hunger
11. May Day
12. Eternal Winter