- Xhin has found a suitable second home under the steel wings of Token—a place for his most straightforward beats, which might not belong on Stroboscopic Artefacts. Of course, a straightforward Xhin beat is still full of disparate elements arranged in a way that only the Singaporean producer could dream up.
Opener "Projection" confirms that his sound hasn't drastically changed: a kick drum swims against the tide, landing in broad swishy strokes. His techno seems desperate to avoid any semblance of straight-up 4/4, even in the metal jungle of "Projection," where reverbed chords and scraping percussion create a perfect storm of distractions.
The rest of the EP is just as difficult to parse as his oeuvre in general, but it might be a little easier on the ears. "Hunters," an otherwise characteristic cut, ping-pongs a simple stab that could've easily appeared in a deep house setting, while the title track slows down the sensory assault so that the sounds land in a syrupy drip. "A Different Angle" plays mind games: its digital march is set against a morphing backdrop of synth with a deceptively uplifting progression, recalling the eerier moments of last album Sword.
Tracklist A1 Projection
A2 Dark Tiled Landscape
B1 Hunter
B2 A Different Angle