Shinra Electro Company 02

James Shinra’s latest instalment in the Shinra Electro Company series shows how much can be done with a small set of tools when they’re handled with care. There’s no attempt to dress these tracks up as statements. Instead, the UK producer concentrates on careful drum-programming and tonal detail that lets acid and rhythm speak. ‘Acid Every Day’ opens with hard, unvarnished drums and a straight 303 line that stays disciplined throughout, its impact coming from eerie persistence. ‘Back’ introduces a softer grain, dubby chords and vocal fragments slipping in and out of the groove with a measured ease. On the flip side, ‘Blip’ shifts the centre of gravity, its skippy, breakbeat-inflected rhythm carried by low-end weight and misted pads in its wake. Closer ‘1310Clap’ brings the acid to the fore again, the line wavering and flaring as the line swells and recedes that settles into a late-night shape.