BRAIDEN レコード& CD

Review: Braiden's material has been slow to come out since he first landed with a bang on Doldrums back in 2010. A turn on Rush Hour confirmed his status as a producer in command of the chops necessary to get a dancefloor shaking, but this year's X Years In London OST cassette was a chance for him to expand into more experimental pastures. Not so on this new 12" for his Off Out label, which finds Braiden turning up the heat with some fiercely modern tech house workouts. "V.O.L.A.T" has the same kind of dangerous earworm armour that made Paul Woolford's "Erotic Discourse" so potent all those years ago. "Hydroplane" meanwhile takes some of the crisp but playful tropes of Pearson Sound et al and straps them to a thrumming motorik beat.

Review: A long time coming, Braiden's debut release finally arrives on Doldrums and it's mark of just how accomplished "The Alps" is that the accompanying release of DLDRMS002 from Joy Orbison out this week in no way overshadows the track. "The Alps" is a sign of Doldrums realigning itself towards a proper house and techno sound - by the time the end arrives your senses have been treated to a deeply pressurised amalgamation of raw throbbing house rhythms and metallic UK funky patterns which presents itself as an auspicious debut for Braiden. Just as exciting is the accompanying remix from Kassem Mosse that nudges the track further towards permaretro surroundings, flipping a tinny jacking beat over Basic Channel style dubbed keys before opening out in glorious fashion into a hypnotic acid house pulse reminiscent of "Blackout" by Lil Louis. This twelve aligned with a recently announced remix for Jacques Greene's LuckMe release mark Braiden as one to watch next year.