Surgeon‘s presence in techno’s airspace is so evident, that one might blink twice before realising he’s hardly put out any new music since his 2011 album ‘Breaking The Frame‘. His latest contribution to the ever growing Token label is definitely a momentum in the scene.
‘Fixed Action Pattern‘ sounds very much what Token was doing fine during their last 18 months of operation. There is an anthemic synth line, which glows and pulses all the way along the track’s 7 minutes, and basically makes it a big time hit. Inigo Kennedy’s recent work might be an inspiration here. The drums are a different territory; Surgeon takes no risks and brings what he is famous for. Though the result is not a particularly hard track, the rawness of the pounding beat definitely gives an edge to the work. The synth-exiled dub version profits the most out of it: the industrialized broken beat reminds me of some of his DJ interludes from the Fabric 53 era, while the whizzing walls of noisy sound is a perfect example of atmospheric power.
Your money on this EP is safe: Surgeon is on very good form. This 12” is the teaser of Token’s upcoming triple LP compilation Aphelion, which will likely to be a good referencing point to some of contemporary techno’s most respected producers including Lucy, Ctrls, Ø (Phase), Rødhad, Planetary Assault Systems, James Ruskin, Inigo Kennedy and Karenn.