Cristoph was responsible for the best of the recent crop of remixes of Dave Seaman’s ‘Justified Replacement of Lulu’, and so it’s little surprise to see him back on Selador with his first full EP for the label – and little surprise that it kicks ass.
‘Foregone Conclusion’ – perhaps so named as a tribute to David Brent’s Texas-supported band – pits dazzling, sparkling melodies against a lean, muscular techno sound. Fantastic Vangelicious synth-lines add further depth and emotion to the track, while brassy stabs carry the track into the breakdown, and as the track picks up again Cristoph lets the handclap loose, lending ‘Foregone Conclusion’ a swing it had lacked up until that point. Thrilling, addictive stuff.
Cristoph’s second track here, ‘Moments’, is a somewhat gentler affair, with delicate chimes making way for a phat, pulsing bass. Half-whispered vocal loops, drifting pads, crisp percussion, and lovely squelchy melodies are the order of the day here, and the overall effect is very charming indeed – this is easily my second favourite track on the EP.
‘Diggin’ In’ begins with a familiar stab-heavy tech-house sound, but it soon becomes clear that Cristoph has no intention of resting content with that, as the track drops in a propulsive bassline, and eerie wailing pads and interlocking melodies. The bassline picks up new resonances during the breakdown, reminding me very much of Funk D’Void’s classic ‘Diabla’. I have to admit, I did get a bit much of the pitch-bending wails that run throughout this sequence, but that’s a pretty minor complaint with an otherwise fantastic track.
Last up we have ‘Time for Change’ – well, you’re not going to get any argument on that from us! The track itself is high-octane melodic techno, with a throbbing bassline, layers of bleepy melodies, and some coming together over the course of 10 minutes. It’s probably the least distinctive sounding track of the four when it’s in full flight, but the melodic ideas work really well, there’s a great energy to it, and the cellos that run through the lengthy breakdown are really gorgeous.
Don’t believe the hype. Except this once. This time believe. Cristoff is going places, and he’ll take you with him if you’ll let him.
