Reviews

Sound of Sloth by Darkstar Audio

Album number two for these rising stars of the dark techno scene. Only, with The Unmistakable Sound of Sloth, that label now seems largely redundant. For although they haven't abandoned their dark beats entirely, this release moves closer to the almost psychedelic space occupied by the likes of Spiritualised, Acceleradeck, or any number of bands on the Enraptured label. And this is a good thing, because choosing to go down a route that is less reliant on straightfoward (if addictive) beats means that Greenhaus' songwriting ability gets the chance to spread its wings.

Those who like their techno straight up will find this a radical departure. Others more open-minded should respond to this in droves. There's more guitar than before but it's of the wash of reverb kind rather than sad rock posturing. There's some great piano moments too. But tech heads shouldn't panic. There are still some terrific beats (with some nifty drum programming) - see Nova and More Life. Greenhaus' version of Joy Division's Transmission is included too, although this album version pales into insignificance compared to its live equivalent. There are a couple of very short tracks that have great ideas but are not fully developed and feel rushed, but it's a bit of a struggle to find the weak spots. Greenhaus have really gone out on a limb with this album and haven't let preconceptions of how they're 'supposed' to sound hamper their songwriting. I look forward to hearing this stuff live 7/10  

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