- Two solid barnburners from two extremely talented techno producers.
- It feels lazy to lump together DJ Nobu and Wata Igarashi—two techno artists who excel at the trippier, more hypnotic end of the spectrum—but sometimes things just work out that way. Which makes this split 12-inch on fabric Originals a particularly droolworthy proposition, because they're both geniuses. The results live up to the banner on the marquee. "Flares" is uncharacteristically midrangey for Nobu, built around a church organ-like riff that loops eternally—resonance envelope flaring and quivering all the while—with percussive figures riff and ricochet off of it. It's churchy and druggy at the same time, psychedelic in a Twilight Zone sort of way.
Igarashi's "泡 (Abuku)" is made from essentially the same elements, though it glows with a more modern warmth, and the clicky kickdrum underneath functions like a human heartbeat. Circular, majestic and full of life and colour, Igarashi and Nobu's style of techno emphasises both the repetition and beauty of the form. Greedy listeners might pine for more than one track each on an EP, but that shouldn't distract from the quality on display here.
Tracklist01. DJ Nobu - Flares
02. Wata Igarashi - 泡 (Abuku)