Transcenic - HigHer Ground

BNP05p/ 27 - 10 - 2023

Higher ground

Following an impressive Beat & Path debut ('Fridgian Dominant'), Transcenic are back to make a statement. The South Island pair – Ray (Spoonhead) and Jimmy (Subminimal) – have years of collective experience on the island's doof scene which, as Transcenic, they're channelling into a project with an eastward gaze. 'Higher Ground' is a heavy vehicle. A long, poignant vocal call sets the tone; it's the sort that characterised evocative early rave tracks (think 'Raincry' and 'Out of Body Experience') and lets you know you're in for some proper dancefloor mysticism. The kick drops alongside swinging highs and low synth growls, and pretty quickly you're getting pulled through a sound-world of monks, DMT insects and stately columns sculpted from transmuted saw waves. A huge inner landscape to explore while your feet are busy stomping – i.e., exactly what you'd hope for from house producers with psy credentials. Peruvian instrumentalist Marco Tegui (Kindisch, Stil Vor Talent) provides a complete rework, layering his own guitar virtuosity over a pumping vaudevillian beat. It's the sort of remix that comes rarely in a scene where remixes can be little more than edits, and you may initially struggle to join the dots. But careful attention reveals this for what it is: a meticulous overhaul that bows to its source material before folding it inside out. It's also a low-key banger.

Worldwide on all platforms: 27 - 10 - 2023