Sawf is a seasoned campaigner these days. Having found a home in his early career on Alister Wells' Perc Trax he has in more recent time become something of a nomad, releasing on Prosthetic Pressings, M_REC and Code Is Law, as well as Modal Analysis and Vanila—the labels of his fellow countrymen and friends Kondaktor and ANFS.

    Opener Rolla is relentless and almost hypnotic, albeit it is saved from an ability of definitively putting the listener into trance by the fluctuating levels in compression. The furiously overdriven bass builds a high wall of rhythmic tech-noise that is flanked by soft wooden hats, which in turn seem to melt into the distortion while having a hint of tribalism about them, with a subtle, but very gruff melody appearing mid-way and stitching everything together. Hard, flat kicks get the High Zone moving—it's not too long though before the whomping bass hits threaten to drown everything out, but not before the appearance of lacerating cymbals and dagger-like hats that mince up the vocal samples in a sonic meatgrinder; to top it off, the Greek maestro completes this bloody, murderous scene by driving horror movie harmonics right through its heart. The muffled kick drums and barely detectable metallic hats on Pleasure are carried along by a quivering, rawkus bassline; sounding satisfyingly familiar, it is drawn up from electro blueprints and whipped by snares that are reminiscent of mid 90's Warp records, B12 et al, giving it a distinct retro feel. Final track Crikey promises to bring out the devil inside, where the bandy kick drums spit out synchronised rubbery hats while the sizzling cymbals bring to mind a hot poker being quenched in water, tough and repetitive, it's bludgeoned by a demonic force, a fractured, bass-driven melody from hell.

    Ms Roxanne sees Sawf launch his own label Kafta (which we shall watch with interest), where he delivers four brutal, techonid variations and all but the opening track has a huge floor-filling potential, and as always, they're tinged with the industrial feel and verge on the experimental side, as to make an excellent home listening too.

Release Type: EP

Release Date: 12 December 2016

Release Format: Vinyl

Record Label • Catalog: Kafta • KAFTA001

Purchase Links: Rebirth • Juno • Clone • HHV • Deejay • Deejay