Take a listen to the work of Reset Robot and you will hear a clear continuity between name and sound, with structured drum patterns, sharp punchy kicks and futuristic synths. Reset Robot champions a stripped back sound, proving that less is more when it comes to making an impact. It is by using this format, complete with crisp and often daring samples, that Reset Robot is able to accentuate particular sounds for full dramatic affect. There is something more to the name, which comes in the form of an impressive volume of releases that represent a machine like efficiency.
What is clear from listening to the Robot, is a powerful, rhythmic sensation created by the omnipresent tech drum. This is the only constant throughout the four tracks on this EP, which allows each title to melt into the next. With carefully selected percussion, the drum is fierce and unyielding, pulling the listener into a trance like state and sending the power of the residual layers of the tracks deep into your consciousness.
Dropping on May 5th, this release opens with the title track, The Mask Of Sanity; providing a tempo that instills a sense of journey. Climbing a mountain of techno, the listener is given glimpses of what is to come in the form of haunting selections of synths. The summit gives the listener a moment to catch their breath. Here – it’s a dreamy sound clash of dramatic synths that screams sublime. It is not long before the techno returns return and the listener is snapped back to attention. The potential of this track is clear, multifaceted, at once beautiful and brutish.
Track two is Bil’am’s Donkey, which brings an emerging playful synth through a cascade of industrial percussion. Contrast is a key player in Robot’s creative repertoire and this track is no exception. Perfectly minimalist, each sample has its place. Played at the proper decibel, the tracks simplicity gives it weapon status and each high hat has the potential to take on a life of its own. The next track is Paradise Lost. Earphones do not provide this track justice. Paradise brings house orientated samples and oscillating synths caught up in a storm of sharp rolling techno. Expect to hear this number on repeat across dancefloors this summer, where the full power of the track can be properly felt.
The final track of this EP is Oak Ridge Capsule. Equipped with a menacing baseline but a subdued array of samples, Reset Robot gives the impression of the EP coming to a close. With drifting synths and filtered voices that wrestle to get to the surface, there is a brief fade out. Yet, it is perhaps no surprise that the track returns fiercer than ever, giving one last blast to the listener as Reset Robot displays the ferocity he is capable of in his production range. In a previous review, it was acknowledged that Truesoul is the home of Reset Robot. This release only furthers this notion. The precarious balance between weapon and emotional masterpiece has been achieved on this release.
Mode Rating – 4.5 / 5
