Hanna Hais
Love Paradise
Atal

Luke Slater is one of the often unsung pioneers of UK techno, first emerging 20 years ago in the acid house madness before getting down to forging a stream of projects which managed to weld Detroit and German tech-sensibilities with his own future visions. It could be the B12-style electronica of Morganistic or hard-as-nails Detroit-style under his own name. Then there was the ambient excursions of 7th Plain and even a band project. Luke’s Planetary Assault Systems outings on Peacefrog usually took off on a tough, uncompromising mission with a direct line to acid house primitivism and UR-style interstellar onslaughts. He now resides in Berghain and, unsurprisingly but suitably, now appears on Ostgut Ton with a major return to the P.A.S. style, alive and kicking in classic style but effortlessly roping in 2009 elements with a raw attack paying more attention to energy and innovation than polishing tones into blandness. ‘Open Up’ cuts a minimal rug with chimes and strings before the malevolent snarl-up of ‘Whoodoo’ steams in followed the bongo-bass dog-fighting of ‘Om The Def’. The relentlessly jacking ‘Hold It’ harks back to Chicago ’89…and so it goes on, getting less bound by any electronic conventions as it proceeds with the ferocious grooves intensifying [‘Attack Of The Mutant Camels’ is practically just bare, booming drums], although ‘Gateway To Minia’ looms as a deeply-resonant blast of ambient static, like the proverbial alien radio transmission. Everything is alright in the world of techno while the Planetary Assault Systems name is up and running.

5 Out Of 5

Reviewed By: Kris Needs