Yan Cook - Collateral Damage
Yan Cook's prolific output is otherworldly, especially when he splits his time between musical releases, his YouTube channel, and finally making sure he has enough music for his own label. Returning to Delsin, his latest EP, Collateral Damage (2023), channels only the finest rumbles and sinister atmospherics into his catalogue of Basement techno.
Beginning with 'Balance Point', a no-holds-barred assault on the lower frequencies. Continuous rumbles shake bones in a frenzied groove. Expert sound design creates these wispy atmospherics somewhere between ghouls and unsettling radio chatter. Yan Cook puts immense effort into their leads, unlike furious modulation compounds with breakneck BPM. 'Collateral damage' exemplifies coarse texture as its leads skate over heavy kick drum funk. Offbeat percussion adds a skippy vibe to the whole affair. In the breakdowns, Yan Cook again shows how integral sound designers are to his craft. Synths mutate as atmospheres grow to a boiling point and spill over, bringing massive bass.
The real standout on the EP is 'Late Night Kyiv'. Yan Cook managers, too, integrate his heavy bass-oriented style into something much more dramatic and soulful. Yan Cook managers channel the excellent parts of dub-techno and his hefty sound into a beautiful mash-up. The truck feels like 1000 miles an hour flying down high streets in pitch black, nothing but yellow streetlights reflecting off the smallest coating of rainwater illuminating. The final balls-the-wall effort, 'Pulsar', uses a myriad of Polyrhythms. Elements fall in and out of sync, emulating the crashing waves of gritty synthesisers that command the track forward. Yan Cook's ability to meld slick sound design with a crystal-clear atmosphere is phenomenal.
Tracklist:
Balance Point
Collateral Damage
Late Night Kyiv
Pulsar
Label: Delsin (2023)
Yan Cook - Collateral Damage