Wen Senary Cycles EP

Wen’s Senary Cycles EP for Soundman Chronicles finds the UK producer at crucial juncture for his productions. After a short post-album hiatus, he has emerged as creatively inspired as ever; driven by the ambition to venture into new sonic territories. Wen’s endeavours have resulted in a substantial six track effort that is cohesive and exploratory, consistent in its experimentation with mood, textures, pace and aesthetics. The release’s energy fluctuates, track-to-track – from the colossal, largely beatless spaces of Arlington CT9 to the pulsing, bass-driven cores of Pace Myself and She Giv. The latter two are particularly emotionally charged, with the melancholic, contemplative melodies adding an emotive dimension to the sturdy club beats beneath. The release’s flipside hits with more of immediate, brusque edge – ruder dancefloor tools that still push the borders of experimentation. There’s a deconstructive approach on the percussively sparse Lunar Cycle Tide and Gravity Flux thatdefies typical expectations of what constitutes club music, yet the cavernous atmospheres and sunken rumbles of sub-bass are undoubtedly built for full immersion in a club environment. Switch’s UK Funky-inflected rhythms add some anxious, high-tension drama and another permutation to a rhythmically diverse release. Seemingly operating with a newfound freedom, Senary Cycles captures the club-focussed, sub-frequency heavy essence of Wen's sound, and refracts it in new, exciting directions, marking another standout release for both Wen and Soundman Chronicles.