Artist: Hybrasil
Title: Helios EP
Label: Hydrozoa
Release Date: 15 October 2018
Format: digital
Tracklist:
01. Bunsen Burner
02. Darby O'Gill
03. Helios
Irish DJ, producer and live act Hybrasil has enjoyed a pretty momentous year. Aside from high-profile gigs at Amnesia Ibiza (where he has played alongside the likes of Carl Cox, Sam Pagagnini and Len Faki) he also closed Electric Picnic’s notorious ‘Rave in the Woods’ on Friday night. From a production perspective the Dubliner has been in prolific form too, with releases for the likes of Gregor Tresher’s Break New Soil and the debut vinyl release on his own label both endearing him to a whole new audience. His latest release comes at us courtesy of Sian & Aardy’s Hydrozoa imprint, the sub-label to Sian’s famed Octopus label. A brought and ready techno workout, the Helios EP is not one for the faint of heart.
Opening up the release is the grandiose sounds of ‘Bunsen Burner’. A dextrous track that’s characterised by its incessant loops and hypnotic vibes, it builds and builds but also is subtle enough never to stray toward obvious territories. Buoyed by its clever percussion, the track is nothing if not a clever exercise in restraint.
Middle track ‘Darby O’Gill’ adopts an even more fervent aesthetic, with this one designed with the sole purpose of making dancefloors lose their mind. Dark but never lacking in personality, it’s the sort of hardy battle weapon that the likes of Ben Klock have manipulating to devastating effect over the years. Seeing us out the gate soon after is the title track. An almost melancholic-sounding techno workout, it’s full of drama and suspense, a fact that really comes to the fore around the halfway point when matters slow down a moment before exploding back into life. A release that’s sure to go down a treat with fans of intricate techno, Hybrasil’s latest features three rough and ready techno cuts that are sure to elicit a passionate response wherever they’re unleashed.