DENIS ANDREEV Vinilo y CD

Review: Sonet's second Various Artists affair is another exploration of the deep and dark end of the minimal and tech house spectrum. Denis Andreev kicks off with a weird and wonderful exploration of hypnotic rhythms overlaid with detuned chamber music sounds and wonky strings. It's brilliantly creepy and perfect for the afters. Gruia's 'La Izvoare' then operate sin a more airy and heady space with deft synth modulations over slinky drums and snaking bass. Last of all comes the heaviest and most bumping cut of the lot from Mortalyf. 'Triple' has super smooth drum loops overlaid with futuristic drones and pepper with squelchy synth textures.

Review: Ix3m and Denis Andreev made impressive debuts on their 123.ro label last year, and now they're back for volume three as they head deeper into their experimental minimal techno practice. There are steadfast grooves guiding the action on ix3m's A-side cut 'Perfesona', but the emphasis is more on evocative sound design which takes on a three-dimensional quality as it shifts and contorts around the hyper-minimal beat. On the flip, ix3m and Andrew's collaborative track 'Satanic' weaves a subtle invocation in the direction of the dark side, putting an unsettling, whispered female voice in the middle of the mix and creating something clandestine in the process.