robin stewart: albatross

One half of Giant Swan, Robin Stewart breaks the ice for new label ipaadi with what he calls “a weird love letter to ‘maximal minimalism’”. Written in 2017 long before he had considered releasing solo music and all one drum machine, Robin presents a dry, bone-crunching set of industrial experiments that leave the clasp wide open for high-intensity dancefloor moments. “Albatross” is a snapshot of Robin in a more frenetic, unyielding sonic space. Ranging from an enveloping sustain on the opening title track, a frantic 160bpm kick drum shower on “THCX” to an almost downtempo feel on “Triffid”, all of which feel borne out of a vast, collapsing industrial landscape similar to the one that he is also known for as part of Giant Swan. Robin states that it's unlikely he'll make tunes like this again and cites label owner Yewande Adeniran (Ifeoluwa) as one of the main inspirations behind the record. Yewande convinced Robin to consolidate the tunes on Albatross; the two Bristol based DJs have developed a friendship while each becoming rising stars on UK techno rosters over the last few years. Ipaadi is the second label started by Yewande in the last year, the first, Intervention, focusing more on activism, charity and community through its releases whereas Ipaadi, is more of a personal project for the music they love.