Terje Saether – Dark Star (ICONYC)

The latest release on John Johnson's ICONYC imprint welcomes Terje Saether back to the label for a brand new EP. The Norwegian artist is widely recognized for his unique blend of house and techno. His genre defying sound has remained fresh over the years and his discography features releases on Dark Room Dubs and Hope Recordings as a result. With six appearances, ICONYC has become one of his primary homes and here he presents his latest EP for the label entitled 'Dark Star'. 

Beginning with the title piece 'Dark Star', Terje showcases his unique rhythmic structures and bold melodic motifs. Dark, chunky and laced with distinctive percussion the first act is beastly, as it's wobbly groove powers forward. Rough stabs along with an intriguing vocal sample carry the track into the break where stripped beats and a calculated build set up an enormous finale. This is quite big for Terje and no doubt a monster on the dance floor.

The second selection 'Convocid' brings a wealth of quirky hooks which Terje seems so adept at creating. From its funky foundation, esoteric vocals and a bevy of strong rhythmic elements, everything just seem to click perfectly. The progression is really nice as well, as the vocal narrative expands along with some intermittent percussive splashes all throughout the third act.

The release concludes with 'Calyka' which is likely the most menacing and least progressive of three. An ominous beginning is conveyed through dark bass stabs, haunting vocals and metallic trails. Swirling effects setup a mild cross cultural theme which only adds to its mystical tone. The running time is immense at well over 10 minutes but the shifts in tonal elements along with subtle twists and turns along the way are such that it blows by pretty quick, making a for a great piece to round out the EP. Three quality tracks from Terje which makes for a spot on artist EP from John Johnson's ICONYC imprint. Highly Recommended.