New York’s Donor belongs to the acclaimed players of the global techno scene and after appearances in the first edition of the Nonnative series and a remix for Developer (“Brujas”), the cosmopolitan returns with the first solo EP on Svreca’s label and injects some fresh blood to Semantica.
Although Donor’s batch does not contain any peak-hour protein, already the title track “H9” wins hearts and minds. It’s a metronomic stepper crawling out of the fog and thereafter carried towards the horizon by gleaming pads. “Align” would fit to the score of a Shaft remake with funky sequences and fizzy textures reminding of early 90’s UK techno. Restrained mood prevails in more abstract “Stray”, which after a limping start gradually exposes steaming bass sequences, and in slowly ticking “Sense” before the story is concluded with “Untitled”, a condensed interstellar drone.
Donor’s inward-looking release is seeking a perfect mix between harmonic finesse and palpitating rhythms and might herald Semantica’s new direction towards deeper and mental sounds. Indeed inspiring work by the man from Brooklyn.