Arkan - Mad Race [Figure]

Format: 12" in printed sleeve.
CAT: FIGURE X53

Tracklist:
A1. MAD RACE
A2. REVIVAL
B1. SAWLIM
B2. INTERLUDE

Following his previous outings on Figure, French producer Arkan returns with Mad Race, a four-track EP that continues to fine-tune his particular vision of mental techno. Balancing hypnotic restraint with driving intensity, the release finds the artist delving further into textural and immersive territories without losing a strong sense of constant forward motion.

Opening the record with a bang, the title track Mad Race leans into a taut and tightly wound groove, as restless synths and enveloping atmospheres continuously build pressure around the rhythmic foundation. Revival continues with a more spacious approach, letting emotive chords and expansive layers gradually unfold on a firm and enveloping bed, capturing a sense of suspended momentum poised between tension and release.

On the B-side, Sawlim delves further into psychedelic territory. Dense percussion and spiralling effects interact with a pulsating low-end pressure to build a focused and absorbing club tool, brimming with subtle motion and detail. Closing track Interlude shifts focus again, exploring a more restrained and introspective atmosphere through cavernous textures and hypnotic repetition, while still maintaining the EP's underlying thrust.

As a digital bonus, Make You Horny rounds out the release with a rawer and more playful energy, bringing together hard-hitting drums and angular synths into a functional late-night piece.

With Mad Race, Arkan continues to refine his own blend of deep, atmospheric, and cerebral techno, further cementing his place within the ever-evolving Figure sound.