38th Parallel

Mysterious new outfit Glasstalk Records start as they mean to go on with their debut release, showcasing some heavy-hitting techno from Kettering via Leeds upstart, Wilhelm. At the ripe age of 21 and with only one release to his name prior to 38th Parallel, this producer has already attracted a lot of support from a stellar cast of tastemakers including Bruce, Midland, Batu, Avalon Emerson, Tasker and A Made Up Sound as well as landing recent radio plays from the likes of Skream, B. Traits, Moxie, George Fitzgerald, Batu and Via Maris.

Wilhelm kicks off the EP with the haunting 'Our World.' This dancefloor heater is jam packed with frenetic percussion, overtly time-stretched whispers and ambient samples of mechanical scrapings. The track is underpinned by a driving bassline which, boldly, doesn't melodically stray from the solitary note it emits throughout, working to great effect in a track where all other instrumental lines transiently fade in and out. The track's ghoulish sensibilities are amplified by an eerie synth line that's run through a stuttering LFO with the note decay time varying each second.

Next up is the title track of 38th Parallel EP, a distinctly more off-kilter affair than its predecessor due to its quick-fire drum patterns. The dense layers of distorted and polyrhythmic synth lines on this track are a full-frontal assault on any potential listener's ears. The crunchy compression used on this track as well as Wilhelm's choice of samples is almost evocative of 8-bit video games. The track is also a masterclass in moderation with Wilhelm deploying a minimal number of elements to maximum effect.

Rounding off the release is 'Assignment,' which was quite literally made as an assignment for the producer's university course! This slowed techno roller would be perfect as a set opener. The track feels quite cinematic in the way it slowly builds over the course of 6 minutes. The juxtaposition of the heavy sub-bass kicks and the screeching main synth line makes for a dynamic and hyperbolic affair.

With all of these tracks, Wilhelm's respect for artists like Objekt, Joy Orbison and Bruce are apparent throughout. All of these artists share an interest in creating worlds where artificial and mechanical sounds mutate to take on life-like qualities. Wilhelm's industrial sounds almost seem like they have souls, as if they have some kind of story to tell that language, at its current point of evolution, can not yet allow us to understand.