Sandwell District

Feed Forward Box Set

The flame of Sandwell District burned brightly in its ten year run, illuminating underground clubs, halls, and bunkers with a distinct techno sound. Female, Function, Silent Servant, Regis and more formed an elusive collective, seeking to reshape the face of dance music with a more ominous and faceless appearance. Their vision culminated on Feed Forward, the sole album credited to the collective as a whole, exploring longform rhythms buried under dusk and gloom. A decade on from Sandwell District's "glorious death", the label's microcosm of an album is revived with its first rerelease since it dropped in 2010.

Much of Feed Forward is drenched in fog and smoked out, perhaps like the murky undergrounds the collective would trek through in its years. Desolate groans and flickering lights creep through the epic opening triptych of 'Immolare', punctured by the ruckus of throbbing kicks and flashes of electricity. Vigorous beats and strobing synths tear through 'Grey Cut Out', where the shadows of the underworld are dispelled by atmospheric rays at the midpoint. Four to the floor rhythms glide through waves of ethereal synth on 'Speed + Sound (Endless)', with hints of vocal and whispers at the very edge of hearing. The untitled 7" from the album's original run boasts expressive palettes, from dripping stalactites and icicle glitters to scorching noise and gritty feedback, while 'Surrender To The Unknown' is combative with its propulsive drum machines shuffling through sonic rubble.

Feed Forward received immediate uproar in 2010, and then the fire was doused. But with a decade of elite releases, Sandwell District has made a lasting mark in the legacy of modern techno.