DJ Trystero - Castillo
DJ Trystero - Castillo

DJ Trystero - Castillo

Regular price £28.00 Sale

Label: Incienso - INC-021
Format: 2LP
Country: US
Released: 2023
Genre: Electronic
Style: Techno, Experimental, Abstract

Tokyo underground enigma and all-round shop favourite DJ Trystero crystallises two cult EPs on The Trilogy Tapes and a gatling gun mixtape for Cavempt into a long anticipated 2LP for NYC outpost Incienso.

It’s a bold move - the techno 2LP nowadays is an unfashionable format, there aren’t more than a few in recentish times (recentish here meaning approx the past 15 years) that still stand up.  Efdemin’s Decay, NWAQ’s The Dead Bears, Shedding the past?  People will argue against this but that’s where we’re at.  Castillo vacuums out most of the residual fog from the opening pair of EPs and pushes the sound palette out into further realms, leaving a cohesive trip from start to finish, both on and off the dance floor.  The trademark searching synths are there, softly sweeping and modulating on opener Ashlar before launching into some stylishly reduced yet not-the-less crater making 4x4 drive on ‘Oriel’.  It happens again on ‘Beneath’ - albeit with cavernous reverb channeling the sort of acid-induced mind spiral usually dealt by the hands of Mike Parker or Dozzy, but crucially without having the leave the comfortable surroundings of the living room.  More kinetic moments are skilfully spliced by atmospheric mis-en-scene; juddering modular interference on ‘Ludus’, ‘Valis’ and ‘Exit’ putting us right ‘there’ whilst paying homage to Hallucinator’s dub-flecked soundscapes or Terrance Dixon’s future-facing beatless wonders.  The home-straight drifts between the tempo range on a trio of straight forward dance cuts, but peppered with enough melodic invention to keep us coming back for more.  Super refreshing to hear something pay obvious homage to its roots and add to the canon without having to needlessly deconstruct anything - it might take a min to bed in but this should be in the company of all the greats before it… (mint / new)

Tracklist

A1. Ashlar
A2. Oriel
A3. Ludus
B1. Beneath
B2. VALIS
C1. Gutter
C3. Chamber
D1. Exit
D2. Tower