NODE Recordings – Subjective Reality
(NODE Recordings, 2021-07-20)
Emerging as a label in Barcelona’s ever-growing techno scene, NODE Recordings brings unforgiving deep and hypnotic sounds to the city’s raw aesthetic. Founded as an event series in 2017, the project has hosted notable artists in diverse ranging sounds. From Aleja Sanchez to Luigi Tozzi, Psyk to Viels, and even sprinkling in those industrial bombs of Uun to MODDULLAR, the masterminds behind NODE events, Dario Duegra and Dhanimal, turned their keen curative tastes into a record label. Since the addition of the imprint in 2020, NODE Recordings has covered distinct releases to tickle listeners’ ears with, and of course, their most recent catalogue number delivers equally.
Offloading five tracks from five artists, “Subjective Reality” balances between raw, deep, percussive and synthetic textures. In each production, the individual focus becomes clear: exposing a correlation between the VA title and the mix of elements throughout.
In A Thousand Detail’s track “Risks in Light”, sharp percussions with raw kicks invoke lively patterns. Coupled with the introduction of dense, wonky drones, the track bridges raw and hypnotising flavours in wise ways.
In the second track “Defracted”, Alexskyspirit shares his familiar trance-inducing touch to deeper sounds. With a pleasant uplifting atmosphere and whimsical accents full of unpredictable twists and turns, the work illustrates well the Greek artist’s ability to detail each sound vividly.
Following with a build-up track designed to tense up a crowd, “Agora”, produced by Decline, squeezes energy with careful progression and loops.
With Rasser’s track entitled “Forum”, a non-invasive rhythm chugs the track along while pleasant drones, timbered percussion, warped bleeps and amazingly-placed hi-hats work their magic. This one certainly has a character on its own!
Last, but of course not least, Unclear finishes the release with “Overseas”, a peak-time track to proselytise anyone who isn’t already convinced! Featuring a hard-hitting kick and fast-paced artillery synths, it’s difficult not to groove to this one.
NODE Recordings, with its constant top productions and superb recognisable artworks, promises an obviously bright future ahead, giving to the Spanish scene a solid music project to be proud of.
WRITTEN BY: JEFFREY SPECTOR | 26 JULY 2021