Lakker - Tundra [R&S Records]

Fresh on the circuit via the long running Belgian label R&S Records is "Tundra", the sophomore album of Dublin-based producer duo Lakker which has been making some waves in the past four years with praised releases on labels like Blueprint, Stroboscopic Artefact or, of course, R&S. Now, churning out there second longplay piece, the duo delivers a perfect showcase of their unique musical formula that has gained them loads of attention. Starting out on the more ethereal, Electronica-influenced side of things it's their track "Mountain Divide" that gets things really going with dark Broken Techno and raw, bass-heavy synth distortions alongside psychotic background choirs and an alarming atmosphere of unrest that would well fit into the score of a post-apocalyptic Hollywood flick for a reason. With "Three Songs" we see PostHardcore flirting with sweet Electronica abstractions and a simple, yet seductive melody levitating on top, reminiscing of early 90s Aphex Twin productions whilst "Ton'neru" takes us on a tribalistic, yet enigmatic trip into deep subaquatic transdimensional space where telepathic communication and crystalline lifeforms do exist. More friendly, crystalline melodies are to be found in the free floating "Halite", paving ways for groove and movements on advanced Ambient dancefloors, "Tundra" builds up warm layers of tonal drones on top of dry but swinging Electro beats before making an unexpected twist ending up in a noisey crescendo making way for "Pylon" which is the most functional and fascinating tune on this album, amalgamating precise Broken Techno and looming bass brutalism to perfection. With the slow (not slow) jam "Octavist" things start out kinda light-hearted but are getting more and more intense the further the track progresses, leaving Dubstep headz puzzled due to a lack of bass but kicking ass with a kinda aggressive undertone and hammering drums before the final cut "Herald" rounds off the musical journey with a more forgiving vibe. Nice one.