I have to admit that I've been a bit behind in regards to the burgeoning Romanian scene - but I decided to make a couple of teeny tiny baby steps to try and rectify that.
Petre Inspirescu is one of these Romanian guys. If you have heard people talk about Romanian techno, you've probably heard his name as well.
When I first dug out a few his releases, I have to say that I was somewhat confused.
After seeing him play a vibrant, upbeat house set a few months earlier, experimental & minimal techno was definitely not what I was expecting.
It took a few listens to get my head around what exactly I was hearing but now that I have, I must say that I'm finding it thoroughly agreeable.
The vibe on his latest release, 'Marcel Si Fiii' (on Lick My Deck) is perhaps more 'clubby' than the minimalism of his previous releases, but not by much. Solid percussion and a druggy 8am intensity are supported by an eclectic range of clicks, beeps, bangs and various other sounds that add palpable minimal atmosphere to proceedings.
'Vrednik' was possibly my favourite of the two tracks on this EP.. Its bouncy groove, vintage synth stabs and superb percussive touches created a thick - almost tribal feel which went down a treat.
Check out Inspirescu's 'Marcel Si Fiii' here. To get a flavour of his upbeat live sound, head over here.
Rhadoo is a name that I am definitely less familiar with, but one that is bandied around a lot in conjunction with the Romanian scene/sound.
I picked up his most recent release 'Arhival EP' and was struck by the life throbbing in it's skeletal, minimal sound. Again, this release is much more club orientated than his regular fare, but again I found it absolutely great.
The interestingly titled 'Cum Oare' was probably the major fancy tickler on the release.. It's definitely a track that I could picture sneaking its way out of some large speakers in the wee hours.
Like 'Vrednik', there is an almost tribal sound thanks to percussion and instrumental fills. What I love though, is the way its bubbly bass and sporadic four to the floor cymbals combine to really warm up the vibe.. Like some organic interpretation of German techno.. I'm imagining a tropical Berghain choked with vines:
Grab Rhadoo's 'Arhival EP' here. Rhadoos live sound is also quite a bit more upbeat than his production would lead you to believe. Check out a recent live mix of his from Romania's Sunwaves Festival here.
I'm definitely enjoying these South Eastern European beats at the moment. It's definitely a scene to keep your eyes on! Watch this space for more in the coming months.
Thanks to Honnery for his sage wisdom in all things Romania.
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