Various – Fuga IV

As the second release of 2023 and already on its fourth edition, Fuga is back on Token. This compilation serves as a reflection of techno today while maintaining the cosmic, driving sound that has become Token's signature over the years.

Our introduction to this excursion is appropriately named 'Neutron Star Remnant' by UK's Coefficient. A pulsating bassline over a syncopated kick swings along lush pads to create a first look into the compilation, promising character and quality. Turning the page over to Bailey Ibbs, our dreamlike curtain is dropped and we're left with 'Caelid'. The tone is set, the nostalgia is lost, and we are left with Ibb's sleek uptempo techno track, bursting with groove; the sequence of percussive elements brew the perfect storm of infectious techno. Phara then takes control with 'Evoke', boasting a thick and persistent bassline. Returning to a rounder, analog sounding record, the dissonance of the lead bells make it a true nail-biter of a track. The intensity of the project is quickly lifted by Hemka's 'Bazaar' for nearly six and a half minutes of barely contained, high-pressure club music. The cyclical rise of the background atmosphere and soundscapes make this a properly anxious piece. Nørbak then uses 'Dano' to take down the intensity with a tom-driven percussion line and a thick, intricate ambience evolving like waves through a reliable rhythm. For our 6th chapter, Vinicius Honorio & Ricardo Garduno guide us back to the body. A drum machine skips along to a muffled synth line, reducing the dimensions of the record that had been opened, and resorting to being slightly more claustrophobic to create that needed tension. We then jump into Kike Pravda's 'Lost in Darkness' for a full-on space and granular submersion. Our second to last track inches along almost like an insect, one texture exchanging for another, constantly pushing through its duration. Finally we turn to our last chapter by Amorphic called 'A57'. This ending picks up the pace but offers space for a meditative and relaxing conclusion to wind down after another intense installment of Fuga.