Artist: Martinez
Title: Echochamber / Wooden Box
Label: Audiomatique Recordings
By: Nick Williams | 18 January 2007
Tracklist:

• A: Echochamber
• B: Wooden Box

Martinez "Echochamber / Wooden Box"

Audiomatique has really been on point in the last year, crafting deep, dark, intelligent, yet very dancefloor accessible, tech house music. As the Steve Bug's third label, alongside Dessous and the ever-popular Poker Flat Recordings, he really knows how to keep his audiences happy. For Audiomatique's latest effort, he brings Martinez back for another release. This Denmark producer has been a leading force in deep trance influenced tech house since he burst onto the scene back in 2001 with his inaugural deep house grooves on the Guidance and Deeplay Music labels. Here he brings what he does best nowadays; deep, grooved out raunchy tech house music.

'Echochamber' is a dark, driving number that focuses around a small, round melodic hook that bounces and meanders across the soundscape, with crunchy percussion giving it a worthy meatiness that will transfer very well to the dancefloor. Heavily heated kicks and a snappy, fiery snare fill most of the sound field, with small blips peppering in the gaps, while the driving nature is brought by a heavy, distorted bassline. The hook is essentially a delayed, swirly bell melody, with off beat hollow, whispery cracks accenting and giving the hook some groove. The track continues building in an almost all-to-familiar Martinez way. The griminess builds as your anticipation does as well, the bassline takes center stage, and once we go into the breakdown, everything loses energy and never really comes back again. An excellent filler track, but you had better start mixing after the break to ensure your dancers are satisfied.

The definite winner in this package is the b-side tune, 'Wooden Box'. What makes this one stand out above the rest is in the atmosphere and groove that is created. This track from the opening brings a large soundstage with thick organic sounds. From the name, you can imagine that we would have a wood block of sorts, and that is the focus of this track. The percussion suits the mood and creates a groove that gets you to sway back and forth, with heavy intention. A low slung bassline creeps in and grabs your attention. The energy is held back just long enough before the snare drops perfectly in the build. An ever changing song that will keep your attention without demanding it, this is a perfect tune to set the mood.

Martinez does really well here for himself and for Steve Bug's excellent label. I only hope that the sound is pushed further in the coming releases, as I would hate for such a great label to get stale, especially one that is so forward thinking. Enjoy this release, because I definitely have, and I think if you need some opening tunes for your arsenal, you have found yourself two keepers right here.