wAFF – Bondage [Desolat]

wAFF is a giant of the modern techno scene and returns here for another outing on Loco Dice’s mighty Desolat label.

Recent years have seen wAFF emerge on the back of an attention-grabbing DJ and production style. The UK artist knows how to cook up big, rumbling grooves and weave powerful DJ sets in large clubs and on vast festival stages around the world. He’s released on the likes of Cocoon, Hot Creations and Drumcode as well as this label back in 2017, and once again cooks up a storm on two titanic new tunes.

Powerful opener ‘Bondage’ is a ten-minute trip through slick and elastic drums that will sweep up the floor. There is darkness in the weighty bass, and real punch in the kicks, and it’s all finished off with some sci-fi sound effects and dramatic breakdowns. A lead synth line goes from molten and muted to frazzled and brain frying and the whole thing is a real adventure.

Then comes ‘Space’, a clipped, kinetic house track with tight, urgent drum programming that really draws you in. Chopped up wordless vocals are drawn out, refracted, twisted and turned over the groove, and the crisp hi hats add a layer of machine funk. This is a full fat, muscular tune that will stand out in any set.