Various Artists - Fuga VI (2LP) [Token]

Format: 2x12".

Token presents the sixth chapter of the Fuga series. Challenging new talents to complete the label's sound, Fuga VI is another precise compilation that balances spatial detail with rhythmic punch.

Cutting straight to the essence of the compilation, Skjöld showcases Forbidden City as an aquatic exploration charged with tension. With pressure in the low frequencies, it keeps the track alive by invoking dark pads that bring dimension and intrigue to an already nervous track. This persistence is quickly met with more weight: Tapefeed's Residual Memory appears to connect with the more aggressive side of the label. Full of mechanical sound design that borders on industrial, the duo creates a dominant energy for the dance floor with a completely unleashed approach.

The density of the second track flows seamlessly into Stephen Disario's Out Of Tune: a percussion-centric track with scattered textures. The Los Angeles producer brutally brings the hi-hats to the forefront to cut through space and find a remarkable balance between both extremes, exploiting their internal clash.

Returning to the label's recognizable resonance, Merino steps in with Memoria, a manic five-minute synthetic loop with minimal percussion. Moving between containment and dissonance, Merino fits naturally into Fuga VI before returning to JSPRV35's rush hour paranoia in Question. Elevating the intensity and gliding between vintage percussion lines, Question is an outgoing tribute to the origins of techno, full of character. The track glides through the middle of Fuga with ease, bouncing the rhythm over a sharp bassline with thunderous claps and snares.

Terminus' Catch 22 re-establishes balance with minimalism, but without slowing down. A hypnotic break in the second half promises to mesmerize dancers and home listeners alike. Choppy hats shake throughout Catch 22 to push the track forward, keeping the harmony low and focusing on movement.

At a similar tempo, Sanna Mun continues with Binary Systems. A dizzying ride over an acid-like bassline, where the rhythm is obsessive and persistent as we approach the end of the compilation.

Fuga VI comes full circle with a ghostly track by Mode_1 called Lifespan, which stretches time and moves in a tunnel-like fashion with resonant toms and messy hats. Keeping the pressure high and that inexhaustible energy is the only way to close a release of such intensity, and Mode_1 achieves it perfectly.