The Dance Paradox

VINYL FORMAT. This is the debut full-length album by Berlin's finest techno producer, Redshape. One of techno's most enigmatic figures, Redshape produces timeless analog techno with a Detroit edge. Rarely interviewed, and with his identity kept a well-guarded secret, Redshape's reclusive persona contributes heavily to the aura of romance and drama that surrounds his recorded output. Repetition is something Redshape works hard to prevent, so his live shows - which have brought him to nearly every known European club - morph and develop every time to never play the same show a second time. As a DJ, Redshape is still very inspired by the good-old school of mixing and trying to make tracks speak to tracks; making music out of music. Opener "Seduce Me" introduces a common theme throughout the record, with live percussion providing a dense foundation upon which sustained pads and distorted melodic electronic tone construct a deep and contemplative mid-paced techno exploration. "Garage GT" builds on a central pounding kick, introducing industrious and cavernous beats and accents in a cold, mechanical meditation. "Bound (Part 1 & 2)" unnerves with shrill synth and tight funk drumming reminiscent of both classic sci-fi themes and the chilling progressive textures of giallo-era European horror. "Man Out Of Time" is an epic journey of soaring orchestration and crushing beats. Deep and disorienting, there is an arabesque pragmatism to the central melodic line, evoking images of a stranger lost in a foreign land. "Globe" is a floor-ready creation, resonating as plunging bass and ominous ascendant hat rolls climb to a climax of deep chord melody and reverberant clap. "Rorschach's Game" punches rhythm into a dense carpet of hissed noise, with melodic shapes surfacing from the murky depths. "Dead Space Mix (Edit)" combines interplanetary pads and shuffled percussion with subtly-shifting electronic beats in a transcendental techno treat, while closer "Dark & Sticky" combines live funk drums and pounded bass into a viscous and heavy compound, unimpaired by looming tape-hiss and fuzz. As complex and mysterious as its creator, The Dance Paradox is a profound work of skill and vision that will be referenced through 2009 and beyond. Great work, whoever you are.