Russell Haswell's second full-length for
Powell's Diagonal label is typical of his post-2010 recorded output, exploring the dynamics of experimental techno and noise, and pushing his machines to their furthest limits. His pieces are all recorded direct to hard drive without overdubs, and they deconstruct elements of acid techno and industrial, blowing out their distortion levels on tracks like "Rave Splurge nO!se FM," or reducing the tracks to skeletal, deformed rhythms that sound like the drum machine isn't working properly. Like many of
Mark Fell's recordings, these pieces build up anticipation and feel like they're about to progress, only to continue butting their head against the wall and not really go anywhere. But then again, it seems like it's not that simple, and they're doing much more than they seem. It's a confounding push/pull sensation, and it's what makes
Haswell's music so intriguing. Even when the tracks are more straightforward, such as "Hardwax Flashback," they offer some quality stripped-down, banging industrial acid techno. ~ Paul Simpson