The Cold Light

Part One

Label head Shifted returns to Avian for an excellent two part exploration of meditative loop techno with The Cold Light, Part 1.

"The devil is in the detail," suggests Boomkat, and that much is clear as Brewer strips back his work to the bones, denying self indulgence in favour of a powerful sense of order and control. The record arrives at a time - noted by many sources, where that brand of dense, introspective Techno is unnervingly prevalent. With that in mind, Brewer takes a refreshing step against the grain, observing that same meanness demonstrated on his debut for the label, to excellent effect here.

"What is certain is this suite of tracks demonstrates Shifted's willingness to push away from the heavily layered, textured techno sound that prevailed on his excellent Crossed Paths album." Juno Plus 2013

Part Two

Shifted returns for the second instalment in The Cold Light series - a continuation of the pure, stripped back aesthetic explored in part one.

The B side is a classic example of Shifted's most successful reductivist tool music. Sektor D encourages a sense of disconnection from the dance floor in the listener - the kick is booming and light, rather than thudding and present, and the lead sits subtly in the mix, omnipresent but never invasive.
The A side however, is a much more direct piece - still inviting that same heads down relationship with the dance floor, but as an explicit act of connection, rather than disconnection. This is about focus and direction - rather than an invitation to lose control.