Commissar Lag - Absolution EP [stickered sleeve]

Recording info

Commissar Lag - Absolution EP (Earwiggle)

The 38th Earwiggle release comes from one of our favourites, and a debutant on the label,
Serbian studio supremo Commissar Lag. The "Absolution EP" finds Lag delivering his playful
vision of techno, dipping into the past while also pointing us to the future, all framed through an
exquisite production gleam. Dense, rolling rhythms reminiscent of early '00s Stockholm techno,
combined with a catchy repeating vocal sequence (one of Lag's trademark techniques) and
rising sirens, result in the monster opening title track "Absolution". "Aim Without Mercy" is
another club destroyer - jabbing keys, broken jagged beats, and a series of rising pressure
points making it another winner. "The Blessed" meanwhile, shifts the mood from mental to
majestic, with interchanging leads and reverb-drenched climaxes marking the big-room peak of
the record. Rounding things off is Irish wunderkind Dylan Fogarty, who reimagines "Aim Without
Mercy" through a deep and psychedelic lens, layering textural collages over surging, jacking
909s.