K-TOI Trax EP

Liam Doc, a staple in the Scottish scene and resident at the Glaswegian institution Sub Club, brings a record of throbbing techno minimalism to Shall Not Fade. Having rubbed shoulders with some of the biggest names in Scottish dance music from Denis Sulta to Big Miz, Doc’s sound is cool, collected and distinctively UK.

Energetic A1 “Jamie Said It Was Wicked” combines earworm distorted bass triplets with atmospheric steel drums, its strong rhythm dragging you into “Icarus” which puts on the breaks in a silky laidback house roller. Doc turns up the nostalgia for A-side closer “2008”; the wide bassline giving a classic noughties feel but with touches of chillout room memories in the smooth piano stabs. On the other side, percussion dominates.

“Looks Like a Mad Place” is proper eyes down business, a drum-heavy uk techno number with dubwise bite. More playful percussion on the hard drum hybrid power of “Thyme Bridge (Part II)”, but the crowning jewel of the record is the closing track, “A.S.M.R (I’m Trying)”. Delving further into pivotal forward club sounds, Doc creates a darker spin on uk funky elements with an ominous, vibrating bassline and ear tickling percs. The EP builds from a ravey sound palette into dark and raw British techno at its finest, proving Liam Doc is a master of his craft.