The French label “Banging Records” founded by DJ Okos and Begbie just brought out a fresh release for the new year with Davedecks’ EP entitled “Zenith Inferno”. The style of these tunes can be described as true, proper techno-music just like the groovy kind of stuff that dominated clubs in the time around 2000-2004, rather than any of the nowadays over-represented tech-house kind of productions.

“Floating In Space” is  a tune that could blend perfectly with old Thomas Krome-tracks such as “Bitches From Hell” for instance. The beat of this tune certainly bears some similarities. Davedecks scores high with a solid symbiosis of driving techno-rhythms and arpeggiated psycho-synths. Very nice.

The slightly similar-sounding “Hold Me In Your Arms” goes a tad faster, yet appears to be  a lot more calm in comparison to the first tune. The breaks are a little repetitive but the strong percussions make up for it and the female vocals shouting the track-title breaks up the monotony from time to time. “Hold Me In Your Arms” can be a good DJ-tool to blend with other percussive techno-tunes.

Third tune in the pack is “Time Disgrace” but despite its title, this track is no disgrace for the label at all (but unfortunately the ugly artwork is!). The synth-stabs melt with male vocals and dynamic percussions to create a really good techno-track which features a much better build-up than “Hold Me In Your Arms” with more creative breaks, while maintaining a high tension just as “Floating In Space” does.

The German word for speed is “Geschwindigkeit” and that is also the title of the last track on Davedecks’ EP produced for Banging Records. The 140 BPM-track develops from a calm start into a furiously banging tune with lots of reverbed filter-action on the drums. Stomping 4/4-snares amplify the heat, contrary to the low-pass filter-breaks that take out some momentum just to let the rhythm hit you even harder once it kicks back in. The use of filters could be a bit more subtle, but anyway “Geschwindigkeit” sounds very effective and can capture the listener even without vocals or much use synth-lines. Great!

Please do not let the really extremely ugly cover-artwork put you off – this latest French offering by Davedecks is a quality-release that lovers of real techno should not miss. If groovy electronic beats at around 140 BPM floats your boat, then go for the “Zenith Inferno”-EP!

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