Sterac, Kr!z

Helmed by two longstanding legends of the scene, our next installment pays tribute to the Benelux techno connection as we welcome Dutch maestro Steve Rachmad under his Sterac alias and Token boss Kr!z to the fold. Each contributing a brace of the typically elegant hard-hitters they've become so widely reputed for, the pair has us swinging in balance between proper floor-destroying potency and mind-expanding otherworldliness. A homage to the uncluttered and beautifully escapistic vision they've advocated throughout their career and continue to push in their various endeavors, RYCL019 is a feast for the purists as much as a compellingly future-facing manifesto: classic in essence but vanguard in its quest.

Holding the reins of the A side, Rachmad gets the ball rolling pedal to the metal. 'Muff Case' is genotypic Sterac material with its surgical uptempo groove and malleable analogue membranes leaning against a sci-fi-indebted scenario. Twisting gridlocked 4x4 semantics whilst his trademark machine funk runs the voodoo down in euphoric style, the Amsterdam-based magician has us hanging onto each bar's end as we'd be watching a thriller: eager and excited for the next shift of gears. A deluge of chromatic arps and subtle chord distortions agitate the sleek surface of 'Strike Icer' - a euphorically effervescing and inch-perfectly built slice of liquid-like techno pyrotechnics, congealed into something of a classic for the future ahead. Lovers of Rachmad's precise yet richly-hued blends shall rejoice, for the Dutch producer flexes the refined brilliance and implacable relevancy of his sound in an epoch not so highly regarded for its risk-taking, soul-searching qualities.

Cross the other side and here's Belgian techno don Kr!z laying it down badman style. True to its name, 'Sorcerer' is a spell of unrelenting techno boggle, tailored to withstand the heaviest DJ use without losing any of its punishing grit. As blunt synth arpeggios keep looping in and out of focus, from sub-end depths to foreground in-your-face'ness, Kr!z harnesses a wild bassy storm, inbound for total floor obliteration. Shifting the angle onto deeper envelope fine-tuning and lysergic mind-games, 'Lightworks' fuses a sense of weird acid sensuality with the incisiveness of crisp drum patterns and bass-heavy aggression. Shining through the squelchy layers of FX-laden baselines, Kr!z's emphasis on textural interplays and rhythmic overlaps blazes to further devastating effect.

*This bad boy comes pressed on 70% blue 30% white marbled vinyl. Artwork by the talented Laura Arteaga Charlton.

• 1 Sterac - Muff Case
• 2 Sterac - Strike Icer
• 3 Kr!z - Sorcerer
• 4 Kr!z - Lightworks