»August EP« by Tatsu

Having discovered Japanese techno artist Tatsu from his wonderful early work on his net.label Bumpfoot, we co-opted him to do an exclusive new EP on Monotonik, and the immensely lush 6-track ‘August EP’ is the result, showcasing the immensely pure, almost Detroit-tinged pastoral electronica - no tricks, no feints, just a trip back to the classics.

We start with ‘Stillness/Introspective Me’, which briefly showcases some gorgeous ambience, before moving straight into ‘Sky and Sea/Daytime Dream’, which sets the agenda - gently building, retro-percussive techno, with claps and hi-hats that sound like they’re straight from 1985, but a purity of vision that make things shine. Going on, ‘Highland/Glass and Mountains’ is just amazing driving music- mechanical, straightahead and oddly almost Robert Miles-like, but avoiding trance cliches on the way to delirium. And so we continue on - ‘Evening/Setting Sun’ is if anything, even more bliss-like, with more trademark single-key melodies and an unplaceably backwards-looking tint, and ‘Deep and Calm/Falling Asleep’ works the goodness just a notch further, before ‘Memories Of Summer/Goodbye’ ends everything out with a gentle fade. More, please.