With production credits on the likes of Souvenir, Saved and Moon Harbour, Onno van Velzen can be safely considered one of house and techno’s most consistently underrated producers. Under his ONNO guise, he seems to constantly bring the heat, and he reminds us of the fact here on his debut for Adam Beyer’s Truesoul label, which, appropriately, is entitled ‘Techno Jams’. If the title is straight-forward then the music is anything but, as ONNO unleashes his fiercer side courtesy of a three-tracker that’s full of good-time vibes. Getting us going is the pertinent sounds of the title track itself. A simply barmy melding of thorough and true sounds, it’s a track that hits home from the get-go, enticing the listener thanks to its dizzying synths and a muffled spoken male vocal. The drums are raucous and tightly woven into the mix, and obvious cliches aside, it really is the sort of track that begs to be played out on a large system. The atmospheric vibes then continue unabated on the similarly excellent ‘Come On’. My pick of the litter, this one offers a dark and discerning voyage through the cosmos, and one that’s bouyed by some effervescent, ghoulish stabs. Relentless but captivating, this is the sounds of ONNO at his triumphant best. Last but definitely not least is ‘Breakbeat Bats, a rotund, drum-focused track that sticks out thanks to its penchant for the unexpected. In all, this is fantastic work from a producer who really steps up to the Truseoul plate with unexpected hues aplenty. In all, it’s fair to say that ONNO has really stepped up to the Truesoul plate with aplomb here. Chances are Beyer & co. are as impressed as we are.
5 out of 5
Reviewed by Ian Fleming
