sustainer

The productions of Barcelona's Alex Alarcon fit right into the Italic label's luminous, minimal, streamlined aesthetic. This first full-length for the label as Sustainer fits both chronologically and stylistically in between Antonelli Electr.'s Love and Other Solutions and A Rocket in Dub's If Music Could Talk, with melodic chords and dubby elements playing equally vital roles in tracks that only seem skeletal when you're attempting to separate the elements as you hear them. Although the hazy, painstakingly applied textures and effects seemingly take cues from movements that crested in the early '90s, namely London shoegaze (Seefeel, Slowdive) and Berlin dub-techno (Basic Channel-Chain Reaction). Alarcon's tracks are as modern as they come and are hardly reliant on the past, anchored by the kind of fleet, feminine rhythms upon which Italic has built its strong reputation. Like the bulk of the best dance music coming from German labels in the early 2000s, the album is just as cerebral and contemplative as it is groove-based and fit for the dancefloor. Another positive factor is that its brevity -- eight tracks, 40 minutes -- makes it all the more susceptible to repeated plays. In a year that's seen all sorts of dubhead micro-house producers bubble to the surface, Cuántico should prove to be one of the more exceptional sleepers. Andy Kellman, All Music Guide

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