Recommended: Midland & Pariah – Untitled (Sheworks 003)

It’s been quite a summer for monstrous singles, the latest of which comes from two powerhouses in their own rights, Midland & Pariah. The pair has combined forces for a two-track 12-inch on Blawan and Pariah’s Work The Long Nights imprint. There’s no frills, no fancy artworks, nor laser etchings: just functional cuts of their current taste all pressed on 180-gram vinyl… with love. This is Pariah’s second outing within a duo on the label, the first being his Karenn project with Blawan. Believe us when we say they hold back no punches; this one goes straight for the gut. Prepare yourselves for two highly addictive and unpolished pieces of techno.

Stream: Midland & Pariah – Untitled 1

What both cuts lack in title names they more than make up for in noise and snippets resembling trains riding over old wooden tracks. After almost two years of quietly floating around the dubplate ether,  “Untitled 1” finally sees the light of day and with it comes all of the head-nodding and shoulder action we expected. Starting off subdued and with a pinch of garage bump, the pair drops us off a cliff thanks to solid low-end thuds and a healthy amount of reverb. It relies on more subtle nuances and pitching drums within a flawless loop rather than aggressive sounds. Midway through, an ominous groan floats over the beat along with two potential words: “hazard” or “heaven.” By that point we’re long gone and the track has won – TIP! On the flip “Untitled 2” explores similar territory complete with growling subby mutations and undistinguishable background noise. Albeit slightly more direct and infinitely shorter, this track in particular brings to mind bits and pieces of Ricardo Villalobos’ music. The backbone of both these tunes is the ease with which we become lost in the groove. There’s no fluff, no outrageous effects, only vibes. Works The Long Nights is on a three-for-three roll and who knows what they’ll come up with next.

Midland & Pariah’s Untitled is available now on vinyl.

Jonathon Alcindor

Writer & Techy. My word is bond, whatup doe? Twitter, jonathon@truantsblog.com