- If Florian Kupfer's first release of 2015, a self-titled EP for Willie Burns' W.T. Records, gave you the impression he might've lost his edge, Explora will swiftly and confidently refute that idea. In fact, the scrappy German producer kicks things up a notch with his latest, diving headlong into relentless minimalism and the hypnosis of drawn-out rhythm. Describing techno as "barebones" is fairly commonplace, but menacing tracks like "Shpel" and "Brute Force" take the aesthetic to the extreme. And though Kupfer rides the style a bit far into extremes, the severity pays off when he does choose to indulge in color and dynamics.
The heaving swell of "Headpiece" is among Explora's better productions, and not only because Kupfer somehow makes the lumbering nine-plus minutes feel like half the time. Its economy of sounds—a thudding kick, punch drunk pads, seismic sub, and light percussion—is fully utilized thanks to Kupfer's attention to movement and space. "Shpel" attempts a similar approach to ominous, slow-mo groove, but winds up closer to psychedelic wankery than engrossing head-fuck. Slow frequency shifts and fluctuating FX aren't always enough. "Brute Force" sells itself short when it stops at a 4/4 kick-hat combo and a squelchy, two-note bass arp—even the slightest extra melodic or percussive detail could've brought some needed depth to this half-baked DJ tool. That's exactly what Kupfer does on "Explora (Slave)," and the added synth lines, drum-machine artillery and vocal hijinx sets his lecherous techno jam a notch above. They say less is more, but sometimes less is just less.
TracklistA1 Explora (Slave)
A2 Headpiece
B1 Brute Force
B2 Shpel