aardvarck: thanxxx joch/hump

Aardvarck aka Mike Kivits returns to the throbbing analog techno he so successfully explored on 2014's Plus Det 12". With "Thanxxx Joch", he launches a rolling Detroit-influenced techno onslaught with the kind of sharp, in-your-face riffs that stir memories of sweaty early '90s warehouse parties in far-flung Belgian outposts. On "Hump," the sci-fi synthesizers, fizzing electronics, and bubbling melodies tempt one to gaze skywards, but the beats -- a combination of thunderous drum machine kicks, dusty snares, and African-influenced hand percussion -- keep things grounded. Why peek towards the heavens when you can get lost in the groove?