One month, and two Spezial Material releases for me to review, it doesnt get much better than that. Thomas Federspiel and Fabian Stubi are back with their first full length release on SM, and if it proves to be as good as their previous outings, we sure are in for a load of listening joy.

"Efforts" is one of those slowly developing tracks, slowly building itself, adding layer upon layer of atmosphere, whilst machined voices, give off thanks to an shadow standing just out of view. A smoothly thudding bassline, with scratchy beats scattered across it like confetti at a wedding, releases a secret message, that you squash and process in your mind as you attempt to decode the hidden passages within. One of those tracks, that just has you so intently listening, that you forget everything for the nine minutes of its lifespan. Amazing stuff.

Barreling into track two, like a fresh battery "Slide" shows us how to layer and generate beat patterns like a master. Regurgitating strikes and polysterene crushing cutbacks, spiked with gentle mumurings of intelligent life, get this one off to a ear bouncing start. Almost like sitting and watching a new born calf, attempt to take its first steps, this track gives off that feeling off things getting into order, with the creative use of pulsing thuds and slowly generating melodies. Mad stuff.
"Replace" takes you on a ride in a gargantuan cube, padded from the inside out, with crunchy stylings, sampled vocals and smiling melodies that float along to keeo you company, whilst "Solskar" is a glass rich, plink plonk, investigation into the last ramblings off an onboard computer, that went awol, ploughing itself into the nearest satellite moon. As the craft sits there on the surface waiting for the inevitable rescue mission, it soaks in all the somewhat ghostly callings from the planets surface, along with rogue radio transmissions, that have lost their way, and reconfigures them into a hidden story, to be hidden away forever.

"Ward" is the heartbeat to a power sucking droid, hiding itself behind some barrels, as the human workforce in this establishment go about their daily work. Every individual motor whir and cell enriching portion of electricity, is thrown into the pot, with the metallic rattlings and machined humming created by the industry around, sliding into play, to emit a life giving juice to this hingry bot. That lucky mofo. "Deliberate on" and "Pact" which are both forking amazing tracks (taken from the 'In conclusion' ep, check the review here, in the very 1st issue of 'tess http://www.tesselate.me.uk/reviews/intricate_inconc_review.htm ) that round off the album in classic Intricate style.

In Pectra to me is pure space music, it has you sitting back thinking about what is exactly out there, but only until the heavy, super programmed beats, and spliced vocals come into effect, showcasing the underlying hip hop stylings that have become to
be associated with the Intricate duo.

A very very strong album, in every sense of the word, you cannot go wrong in the safe hands of Thomas and Fabian.

Another MUST have SM release, you know you collect them as well, so just get it.

Sam