Hymns – Waves Of Nothing [SALT005]

Making his long awaited return to Salt Mines, Hymns produces a debut 12′ flecked with restrained breakbeats, off-kilter rhythms and glistening pads. Opener ‘Water Acid’ is an eerie amalgamation of aquatic electro and tense emotion, built for a fractured dancefloor deep in the arctic ring. A2 ‘Searching For The Real’ provides a brief moment of introspection, before B-side leader ‘Heinz Harald Frentzen’ crashes down and amplifies the intensity with sharp breaks and rapid, stark percussion. Closing the release, title track ‘Waves of Nothing’ showcases Hymns at his best, utilising lonely synths and equally mechanical and organic percussion to create a sentimental, vulnerable climax.

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Hymns – Waves Of Nothing [SALT005]

VA – SALT001 [SALT001]

As label debuts go, SALT001 feels like a genuine statement of intent. Run by Melbourne producers Shedbug and Rudolf C (who both contribute tracks), Salt Mine’s first outing touches on a number of contemporary deep house trends whilst retaining the kind of hazy, Balearic feel most associated with the Australian city. Mall Grab & Rudolf C’s dreamy “Untitled (Track 2)” pays tribute to the new age house sounds of Vancouver, while Shedbug’s “End of the Drone” inhabits the ambient techno territory recently visited by Shine Grooves and the Acting Press crew. Elsewhere, Coastdream’s “Untitled 16” sits somewhere between Motor City futurism and the raw rhythms of L.I.E.S, and DJ Phlowgod’s “Summer” is a pitch-perfect analogue jam full of clattering machine drums, boogie synths and jackin’ intent.

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VA – SALT001 [SALT001]