After almost two decades of releasing music, German producer Sven Tasnadi returns to his roots with Explorer, a four-track EP that finds him reconnecting with the deeper, more minimal sounds that first drew him towards house music.
Written at home following an extended break from production and a move away from his studio, the record is a result of DJing no longer his primary focus. Instead the producer has found himself free to explore more introspective territory, drawing inspiration from the likes of Lawrence, Frank & Tony and Moritz von Oswald.
Our pick from the EP is the title track, a wonderfully hazy excursion into dub techno’s more atmospheric reaches. Anchored by a deep, rolling kick and grooving sub, moody chord stabs flare up between shuffling hi-hats all while airy, vaporous pads gradually unfurl overhead. A soft synth lead lends a little forward momentum to the otherwise outwardly blooming soundscape, a big, warm, sun-soaked orb.
It’s the kind of weightless dub techno that seems content to drift indefinitely, its hypnotic repetition revealing little pockets of detail with each revolution and cycle. A fitting return to the sounds that have long underpinned Tasnadi’s musical identity.
‘Explorer’ is out 23 October via Scissor & Thread. Buy a vinyl copy from Inverted Audio Record Store.
TRACKLIST
A1. Atlas (Chapter 1)
A2. Atlas (Chapter 2)
B1. Explorer
B2. Megasektor