Time

From the opening notes of the bassline resembling Laidback's "White Horse," it's obvious that Scratch Massive take influences from a wide variety of styles and genres. There's a little bit here for everyone, as the music seamlessly crosses from one style to the next while retaining a unique and cohesive voice. "Shadows" sounds a bit like an Aphex Twin track from the recent Analord series, and "Like You Said" easily rivals some of the best moments from the M-nus label and Audion's output from 2006. Mastered by Mortiz Von Oswald, who techno devotees will better know as Maurizio and one half of the duo behind the Chain Reaction/Basic Channel/Rhythm & Sound empire, the production and engineering behind the album is loud, clear and extremely potent; a nice reflection of the atmosphere on Time. It's a great but punishing album from start to finish that demands your attention, with an even consistency that proves to be satisfying without the excessive overkill so many similar artists tend to exercise.