Barro Music Label continues its commitment to the hardest and darkest techno with their latest release, an EP from NX1. We would need a lot of space to describe what NX1 is all about, suffice it to say that this Barcelona-based project by Surit and Samot has been blowing up sound systems and keeping us dancing to exhaustion for years. Under this alias, they’ve released on premier labels like Bite and Earwiggle, alongside their own imprint, Nexe Records. Their latest offering on Barro features four original tracks plus a remix by Nöle. This won’t be the last time we see these artists together, as they’ve joined forces to launch a new label, Kätte, which has already dropped its first release.
“BR1” delivers a powerful post-apocalyptic industrial techno track, dominated by a deafening bass drum and showcasing exceptional sound design. The following two tracks lean more toward straightforward techno while exemplifying NX1‘s harder, darker side. “BR2” is a hypnotic composition featuring industrial, razor-sharp sounds, demolishing bass drum, and skin-deep bass. Just when you think it couldn’t get any harder, along comes “BR3”. NX1 reaches new levels of intensity in this track, characterized by saturated synthesizers, aggressive sound design, and a commanding vocal sample demanding obedience. The fourth track sees them dialing back the BPMs to craft an industrial atmosphere that evokes images of desolate highways and abandoned cities. Nöle‘s contribution comes in the form of a remix of “BR2”, highlighting the vocal samples while playing with the rhythm to create yet another dancefloor banger.
