- Jonas Kopp has been releasing music for almost a decade, and by now he's known for reliably diverse, versatile techno. Though geared for club use, there is always nuance and warmth in the Argentinian's tough, hard-edged tracks. It's an approach he's further refined with his debut album, Beyond The Hypnosis, a record filled with clever ideas and enough of an overall theme to appeal to DJs and home listeners alike.
Beyond The Hypnosis is heavy on reverb and different types of three-over-four rhythmic interplay, and there's a spacey, sci-fi vibe throughout. On "Ork," a broken-beat thud and skittish, hissing treble form an ominous introduction. "Ironcry" follows with cosmic bleeps calling out over interwoven 3/4 and 4/4 drums. Potent pre-album single "Red Plented" appears here as an early peak, its offbeat metallic shudder slowly morphing into a buzzing, acid-fried lead. "Circe" and "Sea Of Pluton" mark a mid-point transition: the former is a house-y cut filled with short, moody synth riffs, the latter a crucial ambient breather before a trio of particularly mind-bending tracks: "Green Square," "Seven" and "Tau Ceti." It's intense stuff, some of the best that Kopp has put his name to, and when the scorched atmosphere of "Tau Ceti" fades away, you'd be forgiven for thinking the album, by now approaching the 60-minute mark, has drawn down.
Actually, there are two more tracks, "Alpheratz" and "528 Hz." Both are fine on their own, but they don't really finish the album well. "Alpheratz," a churning, syncopated cut with long, cinematic pads, feels almost forced in its reach for emotion, as does the somber, droning "528 Hz." In contrast to the smooth build of the opening cuts, both feel abrupt. But nothing on Beyond The Hypnosis is mere fodder, not with the rhythmic dexterity that Kopp displays. In or out of the club, there's plenty to enjoy here.
Tracklist01. Ork
02. Ironcry
03. Voices In My Head (Dub)
04. Red Plented
05. Planet MU
06. Circe
07. Sea Of Pluton
08. Green Square
09. Seven
10. Tau Ceti
11. Alpheratz
12. 528 Hz