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MaxNRG
- Prometheus

(Tech087)

The word “unique” gets bandied about a lot when new artists are being
promoted. MaxNRG, Technique’s latest signing, however, deserves that
moniker. Representing Ukraine, he’s been a pioneer of the drum and
bass scene in his homeland since the late nineties, and now label
bosses Drumsound and Bassline Smith have lit the fuse that’s going to
blow up his reputation worldwide.

From the opening bars of the title track of this EP, “Prometheus”,
you can tell there’s something different about this producer. Sure,
it’s got the dance-demolishing bass and beats that you would expect
from a Technique Recordings release, but it’s MaxNRG’s melodic sense
that really sets him apart. Twisting Eastern European musicality
around the drum and bass paradigm creates a style that you’ve really
never heard before.

Then, “Arkan” takes it up another notch, explicitly laying out the
blueprint to MaxNRG’s approach. This is unmistakably the sound of
Ukrainian D&B. Traditional folk sounds organically blend into
razor-edge synth-work in a way you wouldn’t have thought possible. The
combination of styles melds into a high-energy workout guaranteed to
become a rave anthem.

Next, just to show he’s got more than one trick up his sleeve, Max
throws down “Metro 2033 VIP”. This is a slice of technoid darkness
designed to show that he can do atmosphere and tension as well as
upbeat melody. Layers of floating pads and percussive sounds dissolve
into a skank-out drop to prove this producer has got all bases covered.

And while he’s covering bases, the final track “Sunset of Empire”
covers two in one. He delivers a beautiful film-score panorama of an
intro, and then brutally switches and glitches things up with a
serrated bass-drop.

The “Prometheus EP” is just the beginning of MaxNRG’s assault on the
world of D&B as part of the Technique Recordings crew. Any discerning
DJ who hears these tunes will want to be part of that assault too.
Ukranian D&B has planted its flag, and now it’s here to stay.