over the last few years the sheffield techno collective, the black dog, have released albums, eps, and remixes that have veered from dark-n-heavy beat monsters for sweaty club sound systems, through to more ambient stylings. in fact in 2018, they decided to release 2 separate albums on the same day, where each album stuck in a particular lane i.e. one for the feet (post-truth), the other the head (black daisy wheel).
this time though, in this most troubled of years, the band have decided to keep things calm and straightforward with the release of fragments. an album that, for a change, does not come with a long back story or is connected to any conspiracies.
instead, this album started out with sessions pre-lockdown to create individual tracks for their subscriber service, and was finished during the height of the pandemic, meaning the lads had to do their thing individually in their own home studios.
despite these awkward circumstances, or perhaps because of them, the end result is a wonderfully consistent listen.
the depth of the sonic soundscapes is as ever a joy to listen to, as this lot really know how to make machine music.
so, while this album does not stretch the envelope of experimentation or rattle any walls with extreme bass, it does provide an hour of deeply enjoyable melody heavy ambient techno, and sometimes, that’s exactly how i like it.
more detail : here – – dust science