- There is a fine line between hypnotic and dull, boring, which is probably one of the main grievances with minimal techno music these days. Unfortunately, Steve Bug delivers the latter on his latest single ‘A World Without’.
What an optimist would describe as a track of slow burning intensity, I would mark as a little underdeveloped. Simply put, not enough happens, and the track suffers for it. It’s built around a simple beat and a word sample—“Plastic” I think—repeated ad nauseam. Layers are added, building up to a crescendo of punchy synths, but like a weak orgasm, it leaves you wholly unsatisfied. The track isn’t bad, it isn’t good, it’s simply average.
‘Cru Sauvage’, the offering on the b-side, is a bit more palatable. Racing along at rapid tempo, it’s a gnarly melange of acidic melody, twisted effects and poignant snares. About two thirds of the way in, we get the welcome introduction of some house chords. Sadly, they are only a tease, and regretfully, only used sparingly. Danceable? Yes. Memorable? Not so much.
‘Cru Savage’ is the stronger of the two tracks, but ultimately, as a package, people would not notice if the world was without this record.
TracklistA A World Without
B Cru Sauvage