Yard: Detrit
Binary Dilemma

Pairing two originals with remixes by Cane (the acid-techno alter ego of Funckarma brothers Don & Roel Funcken) and Anders Ilar, Chris H. Jones' latest Yard 12-inch makes a compelling case for his artful take on future-techno. In a word, the title cut's a stunner. After opening with pounding techno locomotion underpinned by a base level of rust, the noise layer drops out, allowing swirling curlicues of celestial tones to emerge as the total sound progressively swells, growing more epic with each passing moment. “Squeekr” is slightly less frenetically paced but more tripped-out as gyroscopic synth patterns induce the intended wooziness in the listener while the rough-edged bottom end pounds and throbs insistently down below.

Cane and Ilar leave their respective fingerprints on the title track, with Cane re-shaping it into a squiggly 303 acid mix whose beat patterns feint and jab in equal measure. The Funckens supplant the original's surging forward propulsion with a rhythm that more lurches than glides, and in doing create ample sonic distance between the remix and original. Ilar's tranquil, ambient-techno treatment relocates “Detrit” underwater, so deeply that it can now only be heard through gauzy layers of aqueous film. Aside from the high quality of its contents, the most appealing thing about Yard's 12-inch is that the four pieces sound so different, even though three are variations on a single original.

January 2009