Abdul Raeva

Holly Lester’s Duality Trax imprint has quickly established itself as one of most exciting emerging labels from within the modern electronic circuit. Undoubtedly inspired by the golden era of house, techno, bleep and club, the label also has its crosshairs fixated firmly on the future and has become a one-stop-shop for the very best in early-hours euphoria and contemporary heads-down sonics.

Despite its young age the label already boasts a stellar back catalogue, releasing tracks and records from Fio Fa, Violet, Cromie, rRoxymore, Roza Terenzi and more – and the fourth in the series comes from Steffan Todorović and Joonas Aro under their Abdul Raeva alias.

Holly is no stranger to either artist, having set up the Terrazzo label with Gestalt Records and Coymix head Steffan. It’s a sonic match-made-in-heaven, with both contributing artists and label head sharing an admiration for bouncy, fun and deep club music that dangles its legs on the border of emotionality without taking itself too seriously.

The label head was first drawn to the lead track ‘Atlas Corporation’ with it’s soaring resonant lead reminiscent of the classic ‘Rez’ by Underworld. Ear-wriggling acid lines and psychedelic atmospherics balance a gritty and driving drum rhythm across a kaleidoscopic six minutes, before ‘Death Race’ blends techy dub with Abdul Raeva’s signature proggy sauce, best played as the sun begins to rise again.

Staying true to the concepts of gender and sonic duality, the remix comes from Australian DJ and Pure Space-founder Andy Garvey who turns in a breakbeat-laden, broken acid-techno rendition of the A2, before we come to a meditative close with the tropical, downtempo sounds of ‘Guardian of the Vault’.