Review: Daniel Ruane – Tengu EP

Meine Nacht has gained a stalwart following in the Liverpool community over the past three years, with secret events exploring a darker, more avant-garde avenue of electronic music, keeping punters on their toes in an often saturated scene.

Now, head-honcho Breakwave has gone a step further, translating its ethos to label format. 

Debut release sees Daniel Ruane exhibit an imposingly chaotic journey through mechanical aberrations and unhinged sound design.

Following a selection of notable works on the likes of Infinite Machine and Natural Sciences, Ruane has found another reputable home in the newly established Meine Nacht, with the receptive Breakwave sharing his passion for off-kilter dancefloor concepts.

“I came across some of his music and his production style resonated with me” she said, “I love innovative developments and 3D sound design and his work felt ‘outworldly.”

A1 ‘Tengu’ traverses through fragmented drum-work and stop-start atmospherics in a manner not too dissimilar from a certain Aphex Twin. Frantic percussive rhythms bounce conflictingly between sporadic, machine-like foley in an almost schizophrenic tug of war that keeps you guessing at every turn. Not for the faint-hearted. 

Equally mind-bending is B1 ‘IV (CF_BD)’, a whirlwind of glitchy bedlam arranged meticulously around weighty bass pressure and perturbed vocal chops. Twisted rhythmic components and manipulated snares further simulate a complete computer malfunction yet preserve a sense of organised chaos; a testament to Ruane’s percipience as an artist.

‘Tengu EP’ will run as a Limited Edition Dubplate from Friday 11 April, followed by a digital release on 19 April. 

Buy HERE.