Butane & Riko Forinson - Equilibrium (2019)

An outlet founded originally to release his own productions across the house and techno sphere, Butanes home imprint Extrasketch now houses an extensive body of work from the San Francisco-based talent. The catalog has heretofore displayed the expansive depth and range of his solo musical stylings across the electronic spectrum as it enters its third year. Having now recently welcomed longtime friend Andras Toth as the first guest collaborator on the label, we see Butane continue to open the label to collaborative efforts here as he pairs up with regular studio partner Riko Forinson following their releases on Deeperfect, Little Helpers, SCI+TEC, Lapsus, and Moan. With this, the duo reveals a selection of darker collaborative club cuts in the form of Equilibrium. A far-reaching package containing eight tracks, Equilibrium offers up Butane and Rikos most extensive body of work to date; one which is impressive throughout in its diversity of atmospheres. From the blossoming, emotive sequences of the opening piece The Sad Song, through the more melodic territories found in Riffraff and Get Into My Groove, the release uncovers a collection of works that span both genres and moods, while focusing on the overarching Extrasketch ethos of delivering functional and quality club records. Primadonna offers a hooky, driving tech house workout with a damaging bassline. Anxiety strips things back to focus on delicate melodies, hazy atmospherics, and somber psychedelic reflection. All In My Head incorporates Butanes trademark subversive, tripped-out vocals, before the duo wraps up the EP with the slick floating textures of Tripping and the sparse, infectiously appropriate closer Inside. Butane & Riko Forinson in fine form indeed.