UMEK has made 2021 another big year, and he closes it out with a two-track release on his label 1605. ‘Frequency Differ’ features two very different tracks, the first of which is the EP’s title track, and that’s in UMEK’s trademark style with boisterous synth lines and driving percussion.
‘Binary Pair’ is the second of the cuts, and that’s got a contrasting mood and feel, as it’s electro-influenced rather than four-to-the-floor techno. ‘Binary Pair’ is inspired by the early sound of Detroit, and is produced under the name UMEK vs Zeta Reticula.
Zeta Reticula is another of UMEK’s aliases, and it’s a name he uses to produce electro-style music with broken beats and dystopian atmospheres. 1605 usually features a big room style of techno, and Zeta Reticula releases are often available via limited runs of vinyl, so it’s interesting that these two styles are being merged onto the same release.
It seems highly likely that ‘Frequency Differ’ will be the favored track by the vast majority of people, due to its style having a larger audience, but no doubt ‘Binary Pair’ will also find favor amongst the more niche audience of electro connoisseurs.
It’s always a pleasure to discover new music from UMEK, and the pulsating bassline and stabbing melodies of ‘Frequency Differ’ merge with the high-paced percussion rhythms and brooding atmosphere, before subsiding for the epic suspense of the breakdown’s euphoria. Almost the definition of what has become the trademark for modern peak time techno, this is another one of UMEK’s masterpieces.
‘UMEK vs Zeta Reticula – Frequency Differ’ is out now via 1605. Purchase your copy of the release, here.
