Although Body is released mid-summer, the albums tracks aren’t particularly sun-drenched. On the contrary, it’s a listening trip through dark polar night ambiance and dub techno territories taking cues from labels such Kontra-Musik and Chain Reaction and artists like Biosphere.
The opening track North lays a glacial drone over a sparse broken rhythm. This is backed up by the bouncy 4/4 and the rolling Chicagoesque bass line of Realised. The hiss of pistons, a subtle drone and reverbed digital ambiance provide a murky deepness. Fortune and Fortune Part II are dub techno excursions with characteristic lush synths and generous reverb. And while the former is a slowed down broken beat track, the latter has a sturdy, subaquatic pulse.
A standout track, Forget It, fuses static rustling and a faint synth line with a stuttering 2-step structure. Another cool track is Curse: its fiercely kicking rhythm (think Tresor or Plus 8) is enhanced by rattling percussion, an eerie melody and a bass line which will make your trouser legs flutter. The only vocals (or rather vocal loops) of the album appear on the title track: an atmospheric techno track with a nicely corrupted handclap. And on Bruised a robotic voice utters “This is it” over a growling bass line and pneumatic thuds.
A welcome ray of light is provided by the short arpeggiod synth piece Aangel, its light being quickly usurped by the shuffled beat and echoing synth of All Eyes. The album ends with Telling Me Everything which combines flanged arctic ambiance with a deconstructed beat.
Body is an aesthetic continuation of Darling Farah’s previous output: atmospheric and syncopated techno with interesting beat structures alternated with variations of the (dub) techno palette.
7.5/10 - Patrice Knap
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