Ancient Methods - The First Siren EP (2017)

From the name to the gothic imagery, plenty about Ancient Methods implies menacing music. It's misleading, though, because Ancient Methods (formerly a duo, now the solo project of Michael Wollenhaupt) makes some of the funkiest techno around. Swung and groovy, the tracks on The First Siren, the first release on the new Persephonic Sirens label, only kick at around 125 BPM, yet exude a sense of energy that eludes much faster techno.

The earliest and most sought-after Ancient Methods releases (First Method, Second Method, Third Method, etc) blended layers of noise, swinging percussion and the occasional vocal so otherwise cold elements felt warm and upbeat. The First Siren does the same thing with its two highlights, "Born Of Ashes" and "Now Come Closer," tracks built with droning synths, heavy sub-bass and cold percussion that sound surprisingly melodic. On "Born Of Ashes," there seems to be at least ten different synth notes in play, plus a vocal, added, subtracted and modulated over a stomping kick drum and, or the track's second half, a rapid-fire one-note bassline. "Now Come Closer" is also dense, dragging a sense of colour from layers of cold synths and laser-guided percussion. Like the rest of The First Siren, it's executed in a way that could only be Ancient Methods.