Photonz: Love Spectre EP
Don't Be Afraid

Having issued Photonz tracks since 2006 on labels such as Dissident and One Eyed Jacks, Portugal duo Marco Rodrigues and Miguel Evaristo now step up with a diverse four-tracker for Semtek's choice Don't Be Afraid label. It's forward-thinking music for sure and a natural complement to Semtek's own innovative style.

“Spectre” is the EP's instant head-turner, largely due to a metronomic xylophone hook that lodges itself firmly within memory after a single run-through (that the theme incessantly repeats might have something to do with it, too). The track's got a whole lot more going for it than a potent hook, however, with a mightily swinging house groove and rolling bass line two other things to admire. Aptly titled and powered by a clap-happy stomp, “Wall” builds brick by squelchy brick into a dazed colossus of fidgety acid techno, while the fiery “Dokos” blazes down darkened alleyways in updating old-school house moves associated with Chicago and Detroit (and even lets that pesky xylophone sneak in once more during a blink-and-you'll-miss-it breakdown). As mighty as its title implies, “Prometheus” rolls out a whiplash techno pulse that's as wired-up and rabid as a mixing desk in the throes of a seizure. All four tracks capture different sides of the Photonz trippy sound, and consequently emphasize the range of the outfit's command.

January 2012