Various: min2MAX
Minus, 2006
Minus started as a home for Richie Hawtin’s own projects, but in recent years it’s hosted releases by a number of like-minded artists. min2MAX is a generous minimal techno compilation featuring exclusive tracks from twelve different producers. First up is “Baby Kate” by Heartthrob. Bouncey bass and playful squiggles of sound dance around a basic beat. On “Scatter” by Gaiser, synths crawl back and forth between channels while 808 sounds percolate. Magda’s “Staring Contest” reminds me of Audion, with rubber-band bass and tumbling, distorted tones. Konrad Black’s “Gink Gank Gonk” is subtle to the point of seeming too simple. Troy Pierce’s “GRVL” is simple without subtlety. Unfortunately it has a lot of sounds that don’t work well together.
[Josh] Wink’s “Have to Get Back (Non Vox Version)” is a pleasant tech house surprise with a punishing bassline, building bleeps, and disappearing beats. Marc Houle’s “Simpler” isn’t true to its word. It’s fun and sophisticated techno, with bells and beeps over an old-school bassline. Niederflur (aka Misc.), on the other hand, take a subdued, atmospheric approach on “z.B.” It’s a really sweet track.
Kicking off the last third of this lengthy collection, Tractile’s “Unquenchable” sounds a bit silly. Electronic sniffles and burbles sound like a robot with a cold. Berg Nixon’s “Victoria Station” has a harder sound, with a traditional beat, thick bass, and warped notes. JPLS’ “Twilite 7” is one of the most minimal tracks here, with some really catchy, effective loops. (His previous releases were on netlabel Clever Music.) Finally, Loco Dice contributes an epic ten-minute track full of rattles and bleeps. The beginning sounds like a bottle rolling across concrete. Eventually an accordion-like pulse joins in, then the bass really kicks.
To be honest, I’ve been out of touch with the minimal techno scene for a few years, but I feel like this is a good re-introduction. This music is dance-oriented, but it’s all well-produced. You don’t have to be a club-hopper to enjoy these well-structured, cutting-edge cuts.
