iO (Mulen) – Ecstasy EP

Fresh from releasing the third and final part of the Oldivibes trilogy of EPs, Mulen Records co-founder Io (real name Aleksandr Voznichenko) offers up some aural 'Ecstasy' to get tech-house dancefloors moving. The EP-opening title track is a retro-futurist delight, with the Ukranian producer peppering a tactile, turn-of-the-90s warehouse groove with raw hip-house stabs, whispered vocal snippets and spacey synth sounds. The old school flavour continues on 'Deep In My Soul', where a 'Bombscare'-inspired lead line combines brilliantly with an organ bassline, smooth beats and swirling electronics, before Voznichenko reaches for psychedelic TB-303 style motifs, rolling drums, funky stabs and glassy-eyed riffs on 'Edge of Infinity'. Finally, 'Air Gap' is an attractive mix of bold, ear-catching bass, heady organ riffs, mind-mangling electronic motifs and loose-limbed peak-time drums.