- Deep, hypnotic techno.
- Though the most interesting music on Northern Electronics tends to be ambient or experimental, a straight-up techno record is never far away. The latest is Sculpting Energy from the label's founder, Anthony Linell. Anyone interested in the Semantica-Northern Electronics-Fullpanda axis of techno will find plenty to like about this release, which pushes a deep and cosmic sound suited to patient DJs and listeners.
The title track could be a less chaotic version of Svreca's "Mountain Splitter," a 2015 brain-melter built for the heady dance floors. Linell's sound is more subdued, laying what could be synth feedback between scattershot percussion. "Vision Of The Imminence" also sounds familiar, as though it's channeling Dominick Fernow's doom chords—"You Show Great Spirit," "Enter Paradise"—into deep techno. (Even the title could be one of Fernow's.) "Scattered Across" and "Therme" feel less referential. Both are functional techno tunes with a strong sense of groove, the kind of tracks DJs could pull out just about anytime. Sculpting Energy is a quality EP, but it shows that Linell is at his most original when working outside the techno framework.
TracklistA1 Therme
A2 Sculpting Energy
B1 Scattered Across
B2 Vision Of The Imminence