Acre – ‘Symbols’ EP

Next month Manchester-based producer Acre will drop his new ‘Symbols’ EP, marking the first release in Project 13’s new catalogue. Delivering a handful of forward-thinking beats with a strong techno edge, Acre comes forward with an offering that reinforces the collective’s existing reputation for pushing tough, floor-focused electronica.

A resident and member of the Manchester club night, label and collective Project 13; his music can loosely be categorised as UK bass. However, within his productions there a range of influences present which span the genres of techno, garage, jungle, electronica and grime: selectively taking inspiration from each. This is also reflected in his Dj sets. If you’ve ever caught him playing out at Project 13, or at Rich Reason’s long-running heavyweight bass night Hit & Run, you’ll know that he often progresses through the unexpected: going from techno to dubstep to duke before ending with a touch of jungle.

His upcoming ‘Symbols’ release demonstrates a mix of techno, ambient electronica and drone, with reference to the 2-step and UKG drum patterns ushered in at the turn of the millennium under the steady hand of bass-music godfather Lewis Beadle, better known as El-B. Title track ‘Symbols’ comes in at around 125 BPM, opening with a sparse pounding kick and clap combo which is slowly built upon with gritty layers of sound to form a compelling and funky rhythm. Really coming into it’s own around the three minute mark, it’s hard not to nod your head to this one.

Following track ‘Q’ launches in with a trailing synth line and echoing drum work, before dropping into a roller that maintains the tension of a grime instrumental but with the bounce of a garage beat. The EP closes with ‘Renegade Loops’. Built on a pulsating 4/4 kick and snare pattern, Acre maintains a distinctly murky and underground vibe throughout. It’s the kind of track that sounds almost custom-built for rocking the sort of dark, early-hours after-parties that accompany a typical weekend of clubbing in the North of England.

Borrowing from both the bassy, masculine edge of drum and bass and the flirty, feminine swing of UKG, on ‘Symbols’ Acre also injects a taste of techno into all three of the EP’s tracks. Released through Project 13, ‘Symbols’ will be available on 12″ 180gram vinyl from October 14th and for digital release on November 3rd.

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