Since the early nineties, Russ Gabriel has been a driving force of the UK techno scene. He’s mostly known as the founder of Ferox Records, a label that is still around after more than two decades and just released Cottam’s new EP. Latest addition to Gabriel’s own immense catalogue was a recent split twelve with Steevio and it’s even difficult to count all his works under various guises. While Ferox mostly represented intelligent and in a good sense funky techno, Gabriel’s own tracks spanned to harsher sounds too.
A good example is “Neon EP” from 1993, which appeared under the VCF moniker on Dave Clarke’s Magnetic North. The label also saw contributions from Cristian Vogel, DJ Hell, Woody McBride and others. These names reveal a lot about the repertoire and VCF’s five-tracker is no exception. A caustic trip from the start to the end, pushing the pace up to 160 BPM. “Journey Through Life” opens with a nervous kind of acid trance and after experimental fast-paced interlude “Trip To One Stop”, furious acid bursts shape of “Hydrochloric” a peak-time rave gun. The B-side’s hits with rabid breakbeat “Giroculture” and “Data 88” is a classic acid tune for foggy floors.