Perhaps the biggest challenge facing an artist of Octave One‘s stature is to remain relevant without betraying one’s fan base. As it pertains to Endustry, the Detroit techno duo consisting of brothers Lenny and Lawrence Burden accomplished half of the task at hand. They revived their Random Noise Generation side project to deliver seven gritty singles that stay true to tradition but fail to explore uncharted sonic territory.
As with much of Octave One’s body of work over the past three decades, the 430 West release doesn’t stray far from the suspenseful melodies of second wave Detroit techno. Genre diehards will likely delight in the antiquated sound design of tracks like the title track, “Crank” and “Thee Arrival.” For those who prefer techno that makes more of a “futurist statement,” as Jeff Mills famously put it, only “Alkalyze” and “Refraction” sound sufficiently current.
Two of the songs on the album already came out earlier in the month. The EnFinate Soul EP consisted of “N2 The EnFinate” and “Rock My Soul,” which can be heard below.
It bears mention that the concepts themselves are strong for the most part. For that matter, significantly updating their production methods could dilute their signature sound. The Burden brothers are nothing if not consistent, in any event, and while Endustry may not win over fans from the younger generation it surely won’t alienate any of the latter.
Endustry by Octave One Presents Random Noise Generation comes out through 430 West in both digital and vinyl formats tomorrow, April 27th. Find the tracklist and album art below.
DIGITAL:
01. Endustry
02. Alkalyze
03. Crank
04. N2 The EnFinate
05. Refraction
06. Soul Xchange
07. Thee Arrival
DOUBLE VINYL:
Disc 1 – Side A
01. (Age Of) Endustry
02. Refraction
Side B
01. Soul Xchange
Disc 2 – Side C
01. Thee Arrival
Side D
01. Alkalyze
02. Crank
