livio & roby: hajime mashite

Esteemed techno duo Livio & Roby show their cards on Tier, for a fresh new track that comes with a tight dub version as well as a remix from the legendary, ToFu Productions. Livio & Roby, of course, have been adding their own take to house and techno for more than a decade on labels like Desolat, Vakant, Saved and many more, so they are assured tastemakers. The lead single Hajime Mashite is a stripped back deep mining roller with slick sine waves and deft synths forming lush puddles. Flickering voices breathing deep in the belly of the track build a certain suspense, before being drawn back to business by some fantastic drum work. The dub version comes in slightly less direct, the slithering vocals are not as prominent as the original, but glisten through the elements of the track, creating a hypnotic environment for the listener. Last of all, ToFu Productions (thomas melchior & fumiya tanaka)  rework it into something stripped back and zoned out, dreamy and laced up with magical pads that sink you into a cosmic world. Elegantly arranged synths let the mind wander with steady tumbling drums. This then is a standout EP once more from this vital label, transcendent sounds.