BnB Review: Planetary Assault Systems - The Messenger
Written by Youri Jozee
Techno -
'Again, Luke gives the finger to traditional standards and delivers an intense, complex, but incredibly intriguing piece of advanced techno...'
He’s been a consistent force in cutting-edge acid and techno for over 15 years: Luke Slater, also known under the guise of Planetary Assault Systems, a moniker used to explore boundaries of what some call ‘purist techno’. It ain’t music for the faint-hearted. Ever since his early tracks, P.A.S. has been delivering a buttload of thunderous techno tracks often marked by spacey twists, dark industrial themes and a certain feeling of isolation. The Messenger has become another prime example of P.A.S. beloved sound, yet it also marks a new beginning in some ways. It still retains that all powerful drive we’ve come to know the producer for, yet in a more evolved form.
On the overall, the album listens as a sonic journey through the darkest facets of intelligent techno, while also incorporating elements of dub, ambient, and soundtrack-style textures. The album opens with the ambient-induced track Railer (Further Exploration) but quickly moves to pitch black territories with tracks such as the mind-bending Beauty In The Fear, whose track title perfectly covers the intensity this track transmits. Slow-moving kicks, echoing fx and twitchy hi-hatting make up a great composition, and add up to the almost unsettling theme this album as a whole seems to feast on. Bell Blocker kicks things up a nudge with an extremely filthy kickdrums and psychotic bells as its main ingredients while things get progressively more dubby as the track moves on.
Each track on the album is marked by delicate programming, sequencing and editing and you’ll soon find yourself absorbed into Slater’s unique view on techno music, which furthermore emphasizes the man’s unique production skills and years of experience. Tracks such as the slightly demented, minimal-structured Call From The East and the downright sick buzz basses in Rip The Cut (the ultimate highlight on this album), all manage to display a different side of P.A.S., while making the album as a whole a complex but very, very credible example of techno art. Praise where praise is due.
Our verdict: Intensity is the word that described this album best. The Messenger has become a highly intelligent composite of techno music at the pinnacle. Again, Luke gives the finger to traditional standards and delivers an intense, complex, but incredibly intriguing piece of advanced techno. It’s a must-have for fans of Slater/P.A.S., but also very much worthwhile if you’re new to his sound and looking for something adventurous.
Rating: 8.6/10 Label:Ostgut Ton Release date: October 24th, 2011 Tracklist 01. Railer (Further Exploration) 02. Beauty In The Fear 03. Human Like Us 04. Bell Blocker 05. Wriss 06. Movement 12 07. Call From The East 08. Kray Squid 09. Rip The Cut 10. Motif 11. Cold Bolster 12. BlackTea
Techno - 
