The second edition in Underscan’s compilation series, again with a 4-track 12″ record. When all four EP’s are released, a cd with all tracks will follow. “NOW 02” starts excellent with a track by Scanner aka Robin Rimbaud, whom also released the EP “Lost without light” on Underscan. His contribution ‘Interreum’ starts with a melancholic string sound, soon overtaken by beats which gain in intensity and pace, like a train riding faster and faster. The combination of classical music and technoid elements gives it an original, cinematic atmosphere.
Things slow down with Onethema, with a more abstract, futuristic creation with dark hiphop elements. More appealing to my taste is ‘Slick’ by Quench, a sideproject of Funckarma, who combine the usual intricate IDM rhtyhmic patterns with lovely ambient melodies. The last track comes from Rod, who also had an EP on Underscan before. He created a bit of a monotonous d&b piece, with an ominous big city feeling. A nice record, of which I specifically like the tracks by Scanner and Quench.
