VISION – One [EP] (Big Dada/ August 27 2012)

By Gary Lewis

VISION is clear, the future is Techno.

It’s time to dust off those preconceptions. Big Dada is not just Roots Manuva. This national treasure of a label is still delivering with alarming consistency a broader mix, featuring genre straddlers such as cLOUDEAD, Dels, Diplo, Infinite Livez, and yes, Roots Manuva himself.

Joining their illustrious roster is Parisian duo VISION, who in their own immortal words are ‘Two Young Parisian Black Dudes Who Loves Techno.’

Techno is exactly what you get – a hard-edged, analog beast that owes a clear debt to Detroit and F Communications. One of the beautiful things about techno, and good techno at that, is that doesn’t age. It is the sounds of machines grinding out pile driving beats geared to make us dance.

The debut EP, One, is imminent, but for now, they have bisected a 15 minute track into two releases: ‘Orbit Motherfucker (Part 1.0)’ and ‘Orbit Motherfucker (Part 2.0)’

‘Orbit Motherfucker’ works as a whole, because part two simply carries on from the first. Put together, it would sound like a mini-mix. Very nice of them to give listeners a break and DJ’s a chance to get stuck in. Whoever said that Parisians were rude!?

‘Orbit Motherfucker’ sets its stall out straight away. Raw as steak tartare beats underpin a constant layering and shifting of melody, sandpaper scraping sounds, swirling synths and modulated frequencies. Fragile moments of beauty come from swooning, Moroccan-esque strings.

It does keep adding parts to it, but trust me, it’s not just a cut and shut of sounds from the techno breakers yard. Sounds keep layering until you have a Jenga of a tune that feels like it could collapse at any moment. The 303 squawks, hisses and fizzes push things along, gloriously culminating in an abrasive yet soul-stirring whole.

If you’re not bloated by ‘Orbit Motherfucker’ 1.0/2.0, and are still hungry for more, then you can take a look at a video the boys made for one of their other tracks, ‘Rise Of Green’, lo-fi sci-fi with obviously, a great soundtrack (and a free DL). In a great YouTube/dance music tradition, there is a bit of a childish sampling argument that amuses at first, then tires quickly. Just concentrate on the tunes. You’ll enjoy it soooo much more.

Here’s to a VISION of the future, where techno is king and David Guetta (who used to make good techno/deep house) has been banished to R&B pop trance hell. Which is where we are now.