The press release for ‘Drone Logic’ has it down to a tee – this is an album that is best consumed as a whole rather than pulling out a track at a time to listen to. That is because Daniel Avery is talented and versatile enough to work at different speeds and use different moods, which sounds like an obvious thing to say but is all too often missing from techno long players. This one is different, with the chrome plated hedonism of ‘These Nights Never End’, the Slam-like techno of ‘Free Floating’ and the slick and sexy ‘All I Need’ providing the highs – while tracks like ‘New Energy (Live Through It)’ are more measured and thoughtful. Avery’s original approach takes in some of the standard influences, for sure – Detroit and Krautrock among them – but it’s clear a lot of thought and planning has gone in to making a long player whose intensity doesn’t dip. A very fine achievement, especially for a debut, and one of the best techno albums you’ll hear this year.
5 out of 5
Reviewed By Ben Hogwood
