Alien Rain, Alien Rain 4

Alien Rain – Alien Rain 4

Making acid techno sound fresh is not an easy task, but it is something that Milton Bradley has been doing quietly under his Alien Rain moniker since 2012. Here we are presented with the fourth installment of the Alien Rain series (fifth if you count the excellent Acid Reign on Deep Sound Channel last year), and it comes as more of the same stripped-down 303 alchemy backed by barren atmospherics that can be found in the previous releases.

Alienated 4A begins with fluttering 16th note hats and an equally fluttery acid line, the two fusing together to create many opportunities for timbral shifts throughout the track. As the 303 grows it hypnotizes and entrances, particularly when backed by the soft moans placed delicately in the mix. Although not quite as graceful, Alienated 4B still pulls its weight with a more polyrhythmic yet sluggishly swung 303 line. It boils and bubbles around, but after a while fails to enthrall quite as deeply. The most reserved track, Alienated 4C, is saved for last. It builds off a whimpering octave and icy drones, slowly but surely caressing the listener into a surreal state of extraterrestrial madness.

Altogether the tracks present a respectable amount of restraint and attention to detail that is not always common within this specific strain of techno. While some tracks stand out more than others, it still maintains the quality that is represented in the past Alien Rain releases, and continues Milton Bradley’s reputation as a consistently reliable producer.

Review for CGNY by Nathan Levenson

Alien Rain 4 is out Feb 17 2014