OCTOGEN - 2fiveonine

Today techno needs this album to sweep away the huge wave of electronic blasphemies that have been coming out for some time now, and the fact that "2fiveonine" is produced by an Italian (at least by birth) is more than welcome. Octogen is Marco Bernardi, Italian but based in Glasgow, who first got into music at 15 thanks to a job at the city's best record shop. His love for funk sounds steeped in the rhythmic parades of electronica flowed into his leaning towards the most electro-minded techno, heavily indebted to mid-90s Warp and fuelled by sheer passion. Marco made a name for himself internationally thanks to Commuters Computers (a 12" released on Iridite Recordings), and Dj 3000, of the Ur crew, included the track in a DJ mix for Submerge, earning praise from Laurent Garnier and getting him in touch with major labels such as Clone and Soma.

The first to step forward was indeed Clone, who invited Marco to produce records for them, launching a new sub-label, Frustrated Funk, through which came splendid 12"s of pure electro-techno crossover acclaimed internationally. From the cybotron calling of "Morpheusis" (12", 2004) to the unveiling of the name "Octogen" (2006), which appears as the title of one of his tracks on the first 12" from Frantic Flowers, Frustrated Funk's sister label. Marco's intentions are clearly defined, his passions genuine. In Scotland, Soma, the historic label run by the duo Slam, reigns supreme, and Marco got in touch with Tony Scott, an established DJ and producer from Glasgow. Tony has the right connections. Active since the early 90s, he has produced excellent, high-impact 12"s and LPs, blending deep house, techno and electro, and, sharing Marco's vision, the two produced a superb album together as The Separatists ("Akilak", Soma, 2006).

The experience with Tony made him more confident in his technical abilities, so Marco picked the Octogen name back up, and after initial morse-code signals (the first 12"s on Soma) and important recognition (Marco Passarani's remix of Save Your Saviour), he now releases this intensely rich sonic sweetness. "2fiveonine" is as sharp as steel, one eye on the 90s and the other on the 3000s, cosmic ballads, gems in the vein of Black Dog, never-obvious ambient touches. Throughout its length it skilfully alternates pure trax with more contemplative listening moments without ever weighing the experience down, moving from the shimmer of "Cside" to the futurism of "Les Misereye", while "Save Your Savior" radiates its Detroit passion and "Centraal" glows with a romantic sonic infatuation. The climax is immensely powerful, recalling early Carl Craig as much as Mike Banks' most soulful productions, deep to the bone, it crashes down and rises again, in all its completeness.

A great album, and alongside the latest work from Redshape, Sleeparchive and Cobblestone Jazz, the freshest thing in techno today.

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10/04/2007