- The second volume in Spectral Sound’s ‘Death Is Nothing To Fear’ series delves into darker, heavier territory than its predecessor. With cuts from Spectral alumni James T. Cotton and Geoff White alongside fresh tracks by newcomers Mikael Stavöstrand and Plan Tec, volume two moves away from the experimental vibe of the first installment – which featured Audion and Bodycode – and aims directly for the hips with a full-on dancefloor assault of heaving acid-edged techno.
Detroit’s James T. Cotton’s ‘2 Keys’ kicks things off with a jacking rhythm cloaked in blazing synth patterns and chunky chords. It’s a perfect track to slot in just as you’re about to ramp things up into the peak hours, and this is by far the heaviest thing Cotton has turned in to date. Fellow Midwesterner Geoff White represents with a typically immaculate exercise in minimal techno that percolates nicely for its duration, but fails to really develop; a fine tool for mixing, perhaps, but not strong enough to really stand on its own.
It’s Spectral newbies Mikael Stavöstrand and Plan Tec that are the real treats here. Stavöstrand, hailing from Stockholm, splits the difference between the saw-toothed rave anthems of Audion and the slithing minimalism of Villalobos with his glorious 'Can You See Thru My Eyes' Its skittering hand percussion, throbbing synth drones and odd vocal snippets amount to an out and out dancefloor killer, while the Argentinean Jonas Kopp gives ‘Espias Psiquicios’ by his full-time group Plan Tec a solid re-working, allowing the track to build from a skeletal beat to a cacophonous din of washed out sine waves. The result: a serious late night tweaker if ever there was one.
All in all, another solid cross-section of Spectral’s ever-expanding stable of talent and a worthy addition to any arsenal.
TracklistA1 James T. Cotton - 2 Keys
A2 Mikael Stavöstrand - Can You See Thru My Eyes
B1 Plan Tec - Espias Psiquicios (Jonas Kopp Psiquic Remix)
B2 Geoff White - Apartmental