Sterac – Different Strokes

Label: Mote-Evolver
Release Date: May 18th 2015

Luke Slater provides the platform for Steve Rachmad for Mote-Evolver’s latest output. That sentence should will get any techno fans juices flowing. Both sharing a career span of 20 plus years, remaining ever relevant and surviving the test of time and trends, ‘Different Strokes’ was always likely to impress.

With ‘Stroke 1’, Rachmad decides to exhibit a retrospective sound. A wholesome bass line escorted with a deep kick not too far in the distance construct the foundations of the track. Trying to keep it stripped back as possible on the percussion front, hi-hats and toms are used sparingly and purposefully. Rather than using drums to govern groove here, the original bass line is modulated to for all its worth, pushing its distorted boundaries to the limits and back. A very rudimentary number that neither peaks nor troughs at any given moment.

‘Stroke 2’ follows suit with a similar bass line, although this time with a bit more weight behind. Sticking to his minimalistic guns, Sterac goes to show how mastering a single synth can carry rhythm with no sense of boredom arising. The focus of the track is to give a sense of percussive depth, with no more than two drums sitting near each other, going to and from the background. The hearty bass line again is used to derive a sense of pulsing energy all the way until the end until the closed hi-hats gradually open up and give us some decay.

‘Stroke 3’ opens up with a bit more tone to follow. Strong synthlines provide the understructure, with ‘Stroke 3’ keeping to EPs bare bone aesthetic. Luckily for a master like Mr. Rachmad, creating a tireless groove comes naturally but one can’t help but  yearn for a beefed up remix to deliver the epic climax the early goings threatens to deliver.

‘Stroke 4’ is where Steve really comes into his own as a dancefloor dominating kick drum rides roughshod over the bass line and signals his intent for a more power driven track with 707 hi-hats grabbing your attention from the off. The melee of percussion is however done as tastefully as ever, changing as and when needed to maintain the momentum at a steady pace. Towards the end of the third minute comes the invigoration of the track, all hi-hats opened to create real pounding intensity, with the closing quadrant of the track then winding down gradually until the finish. Awesome stuff.