Audio Asia: Mystery man Alphonse ushers in the late-night rave on 'Fanatic'

Title: Fanatic
Artist: Alphonse
Label: Klasse Wrecks
Release Date: Out now

Klasse Wrecks welcome back mystery man Alphonse, with the talented but secretive producer providing four deviant techno jams on his 'Beechwood DNA' EP.

The Hong Kong label have been in seriously fine fettle of late, with their routinely reliable output demonstrating a refined attention to quality coupled with a commitment to the murkier shades of the dance underground. And while we know very little about the man behind the music, we can certify that Alphonse is a producer with a knack for composing distinctive subaquatic sounds that often skirt the lines between genres, with elements of deep house, techno, breakbeat and nu-rave all discernible from his releases. He's previously released on labels including Hypercolour, Resista, and (Emotional) Especial, and he appears to have found a happy home in the Klasse Wrecks fold, with this his third appearance on the imprint.

Hong Kong's Klasse Wrecks maintain their high-quality threshold with an exquis
Each track on the record is deserving of attention, with the hyperactive tempo and murky acid licks of rousing cut 'Everstar', the immersive haze of saucer-eyed meditation of 'Signify', and the delicate breaks and broad panorama of introspective closing track 'Beechwood'. After much deliberation, we picked out opening track 'Fanatic' to present here. The infectious breaks and familiar rave flavoured samples loop over deviant 303 lines, the tempo drops momentarily before the pace charges back into full throttle, with the smoke-filled atmosphere evoking a tangible sense of late-night sleaze. This is another excellent piece of work from the Klasse Wrecks team, whose low-key, anti-marketing strategy proves that it's still eminently possible for quality to best relentless social media campaigning. As the motif on the vinyl's centre sticker proudly exclaims, “dope sells itself.”

Alphonse 'Beechwood DNA' EP is out now on Klasse Wrecks, you can listen and buy it here