- When Irish duo Lakker debuted on R&S earlier this year, they were in beastly banger mode, nicely invoking the label's legacy of no-holds-barred techno. Now for their second 12-inch on the Belgian imprint they've gone Lakker with it—which is to say, weirder. They redirect the energy inward for two tracks (and one interlude) that burn with the ferocity of a forest fire.
Unfolding with epic splendour over eight minutes, "Mountain Divide" is a new high-water mark for Lakker in both scale and sound design. The duo's tunes have always had ear candy, but the way they control the ebb and flow of distortion here is remarkable—it's physical enough to bowl you over, but never hard on the ears. There's a brighter melody lolling in the background, and it only grows louder with the rising waves of fuzz, as if it were engaged in some epic battle of the elements. That's a hard act to follow, but "Mathfall," one of the duo's typical IDM-inspired efforts, stands up well. Pummelling but spacious, with distorted synth tendrils and a bed of wobbling bass frequencies to precariously prop it all up, it recalls the heights of this year's Eomac solo LP. The short, hypnagogic "Monla" is inconsequential in comparison, but "Mathfall" and "Mountain Divide" are massive enough to justify the 12-inch on their own.
TracklistA1 Mountain Divide
B1 Math Fall
B2 Monla