ND4

ND4 compiles the first trio of 12" releases from the Cologne-based duo of Hannes Wenner and Christopher Bleckmann. Inspired by the U-Bahn, the subway system that runs through their city, Wenner and Bleckmann have seemingly captured the essence and ambience of its sterile, sleek structures in the form of forcefully tapping beats and an array of clicks, creaks, and distant voices. For the most part, this is mid-tempo, beat-driven minimal techno at its most skeletal. Like Stewart Walker's Stabiles, ND4 gets a strikingly maximized amount out of the few elements at the producers' disposal. The primarily 4/4 beats are deadened, hollow, and dull, making it easier for the listener to get lost in the maze of textures that endlessly emanate. You might be hearing the sound of water drops hitting a metallic surface, and then you could be hearing a loop of clanging steel. It should come as little surprise that "Autobahn" is the most danceable of these 12 tracks, as it carries the most propulsive rhythm and a looped vapor smudge that takes the place of a hook. Those familiar with the M_nus label should find Wenner and Bleckmann to be a fitting addition to their roster; ND4 is a fine combination of subtlety and substance.