Vanished Breath EP by Shlømo
The French producer moves beyond Techno boundaries
On his fifth release this year, Shlømo (not to be confused with the British beatboxer Shlomo or the American electronic producer Shlohmo) the French Techno talent Shaun Baron-Carvais, is showing impressive signs of development in his art. Having built a reputation for emotive yet clinical Techno (check Avadon or Grounded Queen for evidence) his new Vanished Breath EP on Tripeo’s Wolfskuil Records label suggests he's pushing his oeuvre into new and exciting realms.
Following an accepted story arc, the pace builds from start to finish. The haunting synths of title track, bereft of beats, sounds unlike anything he's previously put his name to. In contrast, The Ritual, with its wavering, circular melody sits on some tight and understated drum work. We're reminded (perhaps reassuringly) of his pedigree with Obsession, a proper Techno track with bleeping notes and a chugging bass drum before M.U.M., the pièce de résistance of the EP; another beatless track and a deceptively complex composition made up of multiple synth tracks playing at once in a polyphonic style; it reminds me somewhat of Philip Glass!
The digital bonus track, a heavier reworking of Obsession, is probably an unnecessary addition to the EP as a whole, proving that less is more.
- Vanished Breath
- The Ritual
- Obsession
- M.U.M.
- Obsession (Drums Takeover Mix)
8/10 after 12 listens