Trapid News

More from mystery artist Surrogate, reportedly a veteran Detroit-based techno producer operating under a new alias for the first time in 20 years. As with the publicity-shy artist's recent debut on Misstress Recordings, the four cuts showcased on this EP combine crunchy, distorted and sometimes extremely lo-fi techno and electro beats with dubbed-out electronics, deep space motifs and subtle nods towards vintage rave culture. There's much to admire throughout, from the soul-flecked deep techno crunchiness of 'Poison' and hypnotic, early morning brilliance of 'LX', to the fractured techno minimalism of closing cut 'Moderno'.

Zwen makes a strong impression as they circumnavigate the stars to impart their strain of machine music. This first release on Trapid has little to no reference point, placing all the focus on the tunes contained within. "Space Zone" aptly launches this mission in a muscular fashion with a hefty kick and some strafing synth blasts, while "Etching" gets tangled up in a more tightly wound loop with a raw, deliciously early 90s finish. "Restriction" keeps things stripped back, but it's certainly still orbiting the same quadrant as the other tracks. "Trapid" switches focus by embracing a more dub techno-informed approach, and Zwen does a masterful job of capturing that vibe too.