Rave Review: Polygonia & Rødhåd - MAUVIER
Rødhåd carved out a singular vision over the better part of a decade on their label, Dystopian, setting the tone with the aptly titled EP, 1984. Since then, they have brought several others into the fold, churning out music that feels prescient of a dark future hidden just beyond the strobe light. More recently, Rødhåd launched WSNWG, which continues this vision while embracing the collaborative input of others.
On the label's latest release, MAUVIER, Rødhåd brings in Polygonia, one of my favorite artists of recent memory, who has earned early notoriety for their dexterous work behind the boards and their distinctive, bubbling techno sound. Collaborations offer numerous benefits to those willing to undertake them. For Rødhåd, an established techno connoisseur from Berlin, they present both an opportunity to nurture emerging talent and a chance to explore greater depths through outside influences.
As the veteran presence, Rødhåd's talents are on full display here. The tightly wound repetitions blossom like germinating bacteria, becoming increasingly trippy as they corkscrew through time and space. The carefully crafted production threads the beats through a prism that illuminates a new dimension at every measured turn. These rhythms, and the razor-sharp synth lines that swirl around them, are nearly predatory as they take hold of you on the dancefloor.
Polygonia, meanwhile, proves to be far more than a proficient student. While their touch is notably more dialed in than on some of their recent releases, their fingerprints are all over this record. Bubbly synth pops burst and bounce around the beats, injecting a liveliness that somehow sends your feet into a frenzy.
Yet the deeper the record goes, the more the contributions of both artists meld into a metallic beast of their own, whose roughly hewn textures are so finely crafted that you can almost hear them bristle through the speakers. These are the moments the best collaborations reach: where two singular visions collide and leave behind something stranger, deeper, and more potent than either could achieve alone.
(The Lunatic is an Austin, Texas–based raver spreading the good word through his reviews and blog—and by selling the wildest fucking electronic vinyl around.)
