The name Yuji Kondo a.k.a. Ducerey Ada Nexino will surely be farmiliar to most if not all of you, he's been churning out A-grade material for several years now, in the form of EPs and remixes for a host of respected underground labels and artists. Kondo displays a level of artistry and versatility that very few over the years could match, though not strictly techno producers (Kondo included) his fellow countryman and hyper experimentalist Kouhei Matsunaga and UK luminaries Autechre immediately spring to mind, as well as some better known in techno circles such as SNTS, so the news of a debut LP was very welcome.

    Vanishing Curvatures is a lumbering beast of an opener - drones and abrasive noises set the tone before being slowly devoured by the sounds of heavy mechanical breathing, which intensifies until the point of its expiration. Next up is Juniper Fox - an incessant and hypnotic beat serves as a backdrop as Kondo demonstrates his appreciation for concrete styles. Linger continues this theme, showcasing space age tribal rhythmatics, while on Feigning Death dub echoes reverberate through the tech-step ambiance. Hacking Infinity is epic, harsh, heavy and industrial with subterranean noises aplenty, and brings to mind a mining operation on an unknown planet happening in a distant galaxy. Armour To Paper is about as conventional as it gets here, it could serve as a blueprint for modernist techno, but definitely subcontexted with an otherworldly flavor. Kondo expertly places a distorted vocal sample on Human Chord - a tech-hop monster that flirts with Burial-esque future garage. Rounding things off we have Suicide Ocean - a masterclass in neo-classical ambient production, melancholic but uplifting, an ending that offers hope after a foreboding journey.

    Whether you are looking for dancefloor tools or just a damn good listening experience, there are no disappointments here. Yuji Kondo delivers us a highly sophisticated, 21st century techno record, an instant classic that will leave you aching for more.

Release Type: Album

Release Date: 6 March 2017

Release Format: Digital • Vinyl

Record Label • Catalog: 10 Label • TEN005LP

Purchase Links: 10 Label • Juno • Hardwax • Deejay • Redeye • Readymade • Disk Union