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(Independent / Independent)
I love an album that states its modus operandi within the title!
Fuckin Techno is the latest offering from Sydney techno mainstay HPS?- aka Gavan Griffen. HPS has built up a major following over the past few years on the back of a few CD releases and countless absolutely storming live performances at parties ranging from Earth Dance to Tampered to Swarm and beyond. Mostly noted for banging “freight train” techno, this release sees HPS pull back a little on the reins at times as he delivers what is undoubtedly one of the best techno releases by a local artist in some time.
Fuckin Techno consists of three brand spanking new studio tracks and a typically scorching live set, which acts as a “best of”.
The live set kicks off with “Immafreak”, a rolling, bouncy piece of techno which showcases the true versatility of HPS. The smooth production and demented vocals (“Just got busy in a Burger King bathroom” :p) on this track remind me of some of DJ Rush’s productions.
“Section 2” and “Rollin” see the pace pick up. “Section 2” in particular is classic HPS- driving beats, and his trademark stutters.
Acid Theatre 2003 is a reworking of one of his most popular tunes. It is one huge, rolling, slamming piece of pure acid techno madness- crunching bass and drums, twisted vocal loop, demented bleeps, squirts, plonks and evil noises throughout. Acid Theatre has long been one of my favourite tracks and this reworking makes it even better.
The set then goes down a darker tip as “Bounce” kicks in. This track is more bass driven than most of the others and has an underlying dark, brooding feeling throughout.
“TB2” sees the introduction of breakbeat into the equation, though this is far from the easy listening breaks which is a stain on the Sydney scene- this is serious stuff. Woop-woop noises, cracking beats and a hectic pace make this track a standout.
Hole in the Floor is a touch more tribal than the rest of the album. Darker bass and drums throughout, however the production does seem to get a little muddied in this track.
HPS tones things down for the next few tracks. “Acidbath” is HPS’ take on electro, a lot more high end noises than the other tracks. This proves to be a great segue into “Squidfuck”, another favourite from the past year or so. Again it’s a dark, brooding number with the haunting vocal echoing throughout.
“Big Mack” and “Poke in the Ear” both revisit the squelchy, beepy, electo territory. They’re very layered tracks with awesome time patterns.
The final track on the live set is “Lost Souls”, and it gets things back towards the harder, twisted end of techno. Driving rhythms, crashing high hats and pulsating bleeps- what better way to end the set?
In his three studio productions on the “Fuckin Techno” cd, HPS has truly amazed me. “Tourist Information” is an eerie electro track which bounces along at a very laid back pace. The studio version of “Squidfuck” is even more frenetic than the live version, with the vocal being a little more edgy too.
True to form, HPS? leaves the biggest surprise until the very end. “Removed” is a collaboration between HPS and long time friend, Sydney techno stalwart Brendan Fredericks. Musically the track shows just how diverse a producer HPS? has become- it’s laidback yet dark, evoking memories of groups such as Death in Vegas at their best. He blends atmospheric dark breaks and dnb into a brilliantly subdued track. The vocals (written and performed by Fredricks) capture everything about the dreaded morning after the night before.
If you have any interest in techno, and indeed the local techno scene, “Fuckin Techno” would be a worthy addition to your collection.
