Patrick Keuthen aka 82J6 melds mahraganat and techno in mesmerising mutations, like DJ Plead meets Muslimgauze, for Vladimir Ivkovic’s ever-searching Offen Music.
Heading in pursuit of the percussive and spiritual lines of club music enquiry key to Offen’s principles, ‘Offen Im Sturm’ leads on from Patrick Keuthen’s handful of self-released 82J6 digital releases with the project’s most substantial works. In two variations, he tessellates between traditional North African drums and hypnotic saz pipes in dusty, driving, and swinging style that echoes Offen Music’s run of aces from dual battery CZN to Nic Arizona’s desert disco treks, but done with a stealthily unfurling, filtered, motorik approach of his own that’s clearly indebted to to everyone from Acid Arab to Can and Muslimgauze.
In the ‘R228 (Maison Mix)’ he rolls out lilting percussion and pealing pipes in a wide, swingeing groove that gels into a propulsive 4/4 around halfway in, with subtle filtering that lends a sort of french touch feel and lives up its ’Maison’ title. However we’re more inclined to ‘R228 (Beatless Tool)’, where he lets the drums slosh around its slinky bassline and filtered horns in a lithe, live, hands-on style of Bryn Jones aka Muslimgauze at his most potent and snake-charming.
Goes well with some crumbly hash and strong Arabic coffee if you ask we.
