Mark Broom - Fünfzig (2021)

Stretched across a double LP, ‘Fünfzig’ is a full-throttle display of Brooms’ funk-laden take on a wide range of electronic-inspired music, covering house, techno, disco, dub, electro, and beyond. Speaking of the LP, Broom states that 'Fünfzig' is a continuation of my previous releases for Rekids & displays my various styles of House, Techno & the bits in-between”.

‘Mover’ kicks off proceedings with swinging drums and chopped-up piano licks, moving into the hand-in-the-air, disco-inflected ‘We Gonna Dance’, featuring vocals from his daughter Ella Fleur. ‘Stark’ takes inspiration from soundsystem culture, bringing cavernous reverbs atop a monstrous bass while siren-esque leads ring throughout.

Opening the B-side, ‘Let’s Roll’ sees Broom head into full-blown techno territory, as crunching bass and fierce drums collide with a series of stabs and whistles, a theme continued in the no-nonsense steamroller ‘EFX’. ‘Dub Me Good’ closes the B-side with a heady dose of FX-drenched outboard trickery as mammoth drum hits rocket around a languid bassline.

‘Machine’ opens the second disc with fluttering synthesis and robust, dramatic drums for a pounding affair, followed by the bright and squelchy ‘Memories’ which works its way through emotive pads and crisp drums before ‘Lovers Rock’ lowers the tempo, bringing swirly atmospherics amongst machine-driven patterns. The final side of vinyl sees Broom hit the gas pedal with ‘Living For Ya’, ‘The 114’, and ‘What To Do’, delivering a raucous finalé of sample-driven, barn storming disco pumpers.

With appearances on legendary imprints such as Robert Hood’s M Plant, Warp Records, Pure Plastic, Bpitch Control, and of course Rekids, Broom is one of the UK’s foremost techno luminaries. Alongside contemporaries such as Ben Sims, Luke Slater, Surgeon, and James Ruskin, with collaborations under the Fear Ratio with the latter counted as favourites amongst fans, Broom has flown the flag for UK techno for decades. Delivering one of his most accomplished collections of work to date on ‘Fünfzig’, his return to Radio Slave’s vital Rekids imprint showing an artist whose best work is far from behind him.