Perc - Wicker & Steel (CD)

Impressive debut album from Perc, AKA Alistair Wells, whose label and productions are highly revered within the tough dark techno community. The album begins with a spooked ambient score and pitched down dialogue talking about creativity. Then straight into a jack hammer off kilter machine rhythm on 'My Head Is Slowly Exploding' while unsettling drones lurk beneath. 'Start Chopping' is a distorted gloomy techno tune lurking in the void of a K-hole somewhere in an underground bunker. 'Pre-Steel' heads even further into the darkness with what sounds like a train moving slowly while lots of creepy sound design and a real sense of threat makes for a really heady foreboding track. 'Gonkle' is a banging industrial techno track that will appeal to folks that dig Adam X/Traversable Wormhole. 'London We Have You Surrounded' is a straight up offbeat slammer that recalls 'Tunnelz' from 'Electric Underground III' by The Vonn Trapp Family or more recent stuff by Ancient Methods. 'Snow Chain' is an ice cold downbeat track full of chilling isolationist sounds and spooky dripping sounds. Finally 'Jmurph' is a wicked closer with booming off kilter metallic clanking beats. Recommended.