Lars Huismann's first release came out in 2014, so he's a relative newcomer to the techno scene. Despite that, his output so far has been on a level of undeniably high quality. It didn't take him very long to start his own imprint either; LHR, which stands for Lars Huismann Records, has been established in 2015. And so, Substance, arguably the best EP on LHR so far (which should testify to steady elevation of Huismann's production skill), makes a third addition to the label.

    It starts off with quite an impactful opener - Annora, which doesn't go for stretched-out build-ups and immediately unleashes wide, spatial 4/4 kicks with a rapidly oscillating, rogue bassline, that are soon joined by dry 16/16 and open 4/4 hats, generic claps and arrays of arbitrarily scattered, reverberated high-range stabs. After it, arrives a Mothership - a raw techno piece with direct-drive kicks, whopping pads at 2/4, sandy, panning 16/16 and open 4/4 hats, series of short, left-channel-leaning stabs that come in sets of four every 2 bars, pitching up and down as they go, and one satisfyingly grinding, motoric bassline. With breakless number No Return we get a hefty 4/4 kick drum pattern supported by expansive, rapidly oscillating low-range bass, militaristically sequenced outbursts of claps, sweeping hats at 4/4, panned slightly to the left, with another layer of laid-back 12/12s placed in the middle, completely irresistible, electro-metallic bassline, fractured the better to assist percussion, and somewhat familiar, rogue oscillation that appears closer towards the end. Berserker, a total warehouse piece, makes use of explosive kicks with strong accent on every second hit, punkish vocal loops, non-intrusively bleeping 2/4 stabs, revolving in gain 5/6s and open 4/4 hats, all of which run aside a bouncy, instigating acidic bassline. Genesis gives off a bit of a trance vibe with its arpeggiated, cosmic bassline, but at its core it's surely a techno work - heavy-duty 4/4 kicks, multiple sets of open and closed hats - varied in sequencing, with only one of them keeping its 16/16 signature all throughout, craftily programmed clap attacks and rudely tooting, ill-mannered synths.

Release Type: EP

Release Date: 25 December 2016

Release Format: Digital

Record Label ● Catalog: LHR ● 10115870

Purchase Links: Beatport ● Junodownload