With its fourteenth release, Barro continues cementing its identity as a techno label unafraid to take chances on fresh voices. This latest offering features Ari Jani —a multifaceted young producer whose unsettling soundscapes pull from a wide spectrum of influences, from EBM’s mechanical pulse to harsh noise’s abrasive textures. Ari Jani’s early work leaned toward rapid-fire, unrelenting techno, as heard on his SilentSøuls release. Beginning in 2022, his sound underwent a metamorphosis, shifting toward decelerated tempos laden with heavy atmospheres and industrial undertones—a transformation clearly audible in Reject Humanity, Embrace Nonexistence, his EP for Valhalla Records. His Mass Memory project sees Ari navigating different sonic territories, centering on noise, ambience, and melody, yet never losing sight of the club’s pulsing heart.
His contribution to Barro’s catalog delivers three fresh originals, a rework by influential producer Groof, and an additional digital-only track.
“The Sun Has Failed Us” starts with a muscular kick drum dressed in distorted textures that conjure an eerie atmosphere. Soaring keyboards appear shortly after, ascending as if reaching for something beyond the earthly realm. “Ostracized” hits harder still—the kick drum once again commanding attention while disturbing vocal fragments, warped sonics, and relentless escalating tension create a rhythmically intricate piece designed to cause severe damage on the dancefloor. Then there’s veteran producer Groof, whose mighty remix speaks volumes without needing introduction. Roberto Gemelín reimagines “The Sun Has Failed Us” as quintessential hypnotic techno, engineered for devastating dancefloor effectiveness. Bearing the resonant title “Burning Down the Illusion of Safety”, Ari ventures into more experimental territory with tribal-inflected rhythms, translucent melodies, meticulously sculpted atmospheres, and stellar production—highlighted by a stunning interlude where another soaring synthesizer complete its arc alongside a powerful kick.
The digital bonus track “Conciliator, Come With Me” fuses the producer’s trademark punishing percussion with touching melodic elements, resulting in a piece of monolithic beauty.
16
