DJ Physical - Silver Lake (2022)

This release will have you dancing and crying at the same time. On his debut album, Paris-based producer and founder of the ‘raw poetry’ aesthetic Loyce Demellier - AKA DJ Physical - takes us on a fast-paced journey through techno, electro, breaks and more. Whilst the music’s indisputable home is the club, Physical teases out moments of playfulness and sentimentality amongst hard-hitting electronics.

‘Silver Lake’ LP resides on the colder, more industrial side of Demellier’s sonic spectrum, following on from his latest release on London imprint 1Ø PILLS MATE which saw him depart from the more lofi quality of his previous releases in favour of a raw, club-focused sound. On the A-side, Demellier situates the release within the context of old warehouse raves, with euphoric acid melodies and a 140BPM propulsion (‘Uranium’); and high-pitched synth stabs that ascend from darkness (‘Gold Mines’). The B-side maintains the pace, but this time it’s about electro and breaks. On ‘Overshoot’, reverberating cymbals add another layer of depth to Amen break interludes whilst ‘Lawbreaker’ harnesses a cheekier tone, offering respite from the previous tracks’ venom.

This air of playfulness sticks around on ‘Lunatic State’ helped by MPC drum claps and a ludic electro melody, before fellow Parisian Ika Sile steps up for ‘Early Sprinter’ and ‘Bootybounce’: the former offering a slicker take on acid techno and the latter: rave music at its absolute with piano stabs and sleazy vocal chops.