Keepsakes - Perspectives From A Sterile Hellhole

Recording info

The Auckland-based, New Zealand club night 'Haven' has been a leading light in the pacific nation's small underground dance music scene in the past year. From their home of the intimate backroom of basement venue Whammy, founders Keepsakes and Jaded Nineties Raver have introduced the local night fiends to a diverse range of left-of-centre, techno-centric dance music in putting on shows with international artists from lo-fi Australian electro wizard Daze, to the harderedged sounds of Ansome and UVB.

Now launching as a vinyl-focused record label, Haven is attempting to push the best of New Zealand's new guard of outsider dance music to the international stage.

Their first release gives us three crunchy originals from their club resident and New Zealand techno-export Keepsakes. 'Mind Your Manners Munted Millennial' kicks off the A-side with scratchy percussion, overdriven kicks, and screaming, squelchy synths with a cheeky character distinctive of the young producer's music. 'Maximum Mind Control' then takes us on a different bent with a synth-line sitting somewhere between chilled dub techno and industrial grit that increases in intensity, surprising with an unexpected end-of-track change. 'Pick 'em Till They Bleed' then begins the B-side with swung and dusty drums reminiscent of the A1 track alongside a loony, gnarled synth-line sure to disorient many a dance-floor. Hard techno genius Ansome rounds off the EP with a rolling, industrial-tinged and crushing interpretation of the B1 to finish Haven's first foray on the international stage.