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Since the launch of the self-titled imprint, floor-conscious Abdulla Rashim has undergone steady artistic evolution. Firstly jumping on the droning techno bandwagon, Rashim quickly detached his sound from trendy tropes. Now the label’s sixth and most fulfilled release is once again inspired by the skies above Ethiopia and the country’s ancient Aksum kingdom and with a total playtime of 30 minutes it might be called Rashim’s first album. In many parts it’s more stripped down than previous EPs but still accentuates Rashim’s fascination for repetitive tribal textures.
Introduced with speedy staccato reminding of Nico’s “The Wire”, the Nubian-rooted bonfire ritual begins in A2 with bursting stabs and crawling percussion while A3 is like sitting on a giant Ferris wheel gradually making faster rounds.
Black strobe is indispensable when the opener of the B-side hits, intense loop-driven cut with the best Purpose Maker elements and a suspect for floor success. After dubbed-out factory aesthetics in B2 the aurora borealis is embraced for the conclusion, last two tracks tapping into the mystery tales Northern Electronics, Rashim’s new experimental imprint. All in all, “Aksum” is the label’s and artist’s highlight to date.