Rival Technologie 1-01

As the label continues to serve up mouthwatering house and hip hop, D3 Elements now dips its toes into more techno leaning territory with a series entitled Technologie. The first release comes from American D'Marc Cantu under his lesser known Rival alias and features three tracks of hypnotic and widescreen grooves. Cantu has put out plenty of EPs and LPs on labels like Creme, New York Haunted and MOS over the last decade, and also runs his own Run Out Run label. As well as working solo he has teamed up with the likes of JTC to great effect, and here he proves he cooks up unusual atmospheres and freaky sounds that really permeate the mind and body. Session 020 is first and is a woozy, spaced out number with trippy melodies and squelchy synths unfolding above a rolling and rubbery drum line. Acid prickles add texture to this serene bit of soul and pained vocals add a human feel, making it a truly intoxicating number. Session 026 is much busier, with frazzled textures, metal synths and hurried melodies making for an urgent tech cut that cannot help but make you dance. Lately, Session 006 is a gorgeous mid tempo number with smeared pads adding depth and soul, distant acid, glowing melodies and well treated vocals panning left and right. It is emotive electronic music with a real heart and heat to it, and it rounds out a classy and elegant