Lodsb returns to Retort Records for his third full length, with a slab of headfuck techno for the adventurous dancefloor. On offer here are five excursions into 4/4, each carrying Lodsb's inimitable dense layering and flickering percussion to their own challenging conclusions. Cover art duties here are handled by Sophia Sobers, with a beautiful rendition lifted from her Organic Cities series. Mastered deftly by Joel Aime Beauchamp. retort records
10/10
The album in question is an continuous experiment around the techno beat, with great agility around 140 bpm (tempo that most labels are afraid to face in current techno), keeping alive the dynamic funk that is native to Detroit techno. [...] I speak of an experiment because in effect what we have here is an album which takes shape on multiple levels, across a magic set of kinematic systems with modular synths, which act practical and approachable [...] comparable to Plaid or Autechre, the synthetic fetishes of DiN or complexity of Richard Devine, all transposed into a dimension of dance as a veritable treasure chest full of wonders. [...] LODSB does a work of sound design in which textures are made meticulously and with great wisdom, mixed well with a dance beat that possesses physicality. Let's talk about an album that strikes immediately and continues to release beauty listening after listening - such qualities within techno now rarely materializes. The package of the album is manicured, the beautiful cover illustration is made by Sophia Sobers and is part of the series Organic Cities. There are only 300 copies, it would be a sin to miss yours. electronique.it
Lodsb is [the label's] crown jewel, and Helicon 1 is the artist's and label’s best release to date. [...] Dark, industrial-minded, instrumental IDM is a rare species these days. The temptation is to repeat what others have done, or compromise for the dance floor. Lodsb does neither; the artist is more concerned with creativity. Helicon 1 is unlike its predecessor (also on Retort) in two important ways: the tracks are longer (five instead of eight) and the grooves are tighter. This time around, the artist keeps a steady beat in one arena while going wild with percussion in all other arenas. This tether allows chaos and order to co-exist, and is a boon to the listener. A closer listen
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