RAAR002 Maelstrom, Specialivery

On its sophomore release, RAAR's bold mission of unbridled techno with a punk-rock ethos is continued in tracks from label co-founder Maelstrom and newest family member, Specialivery. 'Opium Wars' sets a seething tone, deftly holding a line of tension as machines moan and shriek. 'Diameter of Recess' starts under the skin in Maelstrom's typified controlled chaos. As it grows, the track becomes both an aching roar and a needle-sharp, frenzied insistence; Swiss Italian Carlo Bernasconi is a man of many aliases, the most ferocious of which is Specialivery. 'Dust Detector Subsystem' is a demonstration of this, cumulating in an extremely rare, compulsive mental movement presented in both teeth-bared, club-optimized and more pensive beatless versions.