Selector’s Sounds series follows a procedure that puts music quality before status or industry relationships. Learn how it works.
“Dreams can come true,” reads the product description of Mannequin [SAV018]. “The worldwide techno legend Oscar Mulero is releasing a milestone EP on Suburban Avenue.”
The weight of Mulero’s name was not the sole reason for the Asymptote-run label’s delight. The four-track EP arguably makes for one of the Spanish DJ and producer’s more memorable recent releases. It arrived in digital and vinyl format August 2nd.
“Start to Move” sees Mulero apply his keen ear for texture to a straightforward hard techno format. “Area” follows with a more avant-garde polyrhythm, and the anxiety-provoking suspense of the title track scratches an itch that’s hard to put your finger on. The record ends with “Straight Line,” whose grating timbres are still a relatively soft iteration of the producer’s sound.
Oscar Mulero and Suburban Avenue
Hailing from Madrid, Oscar Mulero became a fixture of the Spanish underground not long after taking up DJing in 1988. He helped open renowned nightclub The Omën in the mid ’90s and remains one of the artists most closely associated with the country’s electronic music community, sought after for its authentic balance between industry and artistry.
Given Suburban Avenue’s relatively short lifespan, the fact that it drew Mulero’s attention speaks to the quality of its offerings. Since its 2014 launch, the imprint has given a home to music by the likes of 3KZ, Fanon Flowers, Z.I.P.P.O and Binny. Asymptote themselves released a four-song acid techno EP titled Acid Pulse in April.
Mannequin is sold out in 12-inch vinyl record format at the time of writing. Purchase it in digital format via Suburban Avenue Bandcamp.
