Gacha Bakradze: Extensions – EP Review

Over the past two years, the Georgian dance music scene has been making waves and garnering large acclaim through the sonic outputs of its many exceptional figures. One of their best musical exponents Techno artist, Gacha Bakradze debuts his inaugural release on the Haroon label, entitled, Extensions. Famed for his more minimal approach to Techno, Gacha suggests a spacy and creative rhythmical offering can combat the harder-is-best troupe, prevalent in the idiom.

Touring worldwide, contributing a glut of material over the years and adorning many labels with his music, Gacha Bakradze’s prolific output shows no sign of abating. Releasing albums on Apollo and Lapus records as well as a flood of EPs on Cin Cin, Transfigured Time and most recently the EP, Monument on Mor Elian’s Fever AM label.

Extensions is a four-track EP unveiling new sonic terrains for Bakradze. Exposing an assiduous approach and a wide range of tracks, from exhibiting flavours of IDM to expounding direct, stepping club tracks. Alongside this, is the familiar nostalgia of laser zaps, popping snares, offbeat clave, crisp hi-hats and medium 120bmp tempos; all tempered elegantly to create the Tbilisi native’s signature sound.

Opening track Elevate advocates this minimal sound via wonderous, pressing percussion and jungle-infused beat-making. Rhythms underpinned with hazy textures, phasing synths and minimal tonality. Showing Bakradze’s economy of melody and texture can be elevated by intensive percussive interest.

This rhythmic process is again deployed on Toulouse, a darker textural piece, whereby the influences of IDM and Boards of Canada echo throughout. Breakbeats meet aquatic, low register synth and subby drops, to converge into a murky, ambient texture, precisely toeing the line of impact and ambience. An attribute that reoccurs in the layered and echoing closer, Refer.

Bakradze continues in a similar vein for the track Employee, utilising familiar sonic tools to lull the listener into a false sense of security before unleashing an almighty drop in the middle. This counterpoint allows Gacha to return to the opening themes of the track with added impetus and dig into its repetitive, hypnotic synth and pressing rhythms.

Extensions is an accomplished and mature creative offering. The four-track EP has elements and whispers of genres that exhibit Bakradze’s wealth of musical range and the sonic components vary in just the right combination to inspire limb movements. Throughout Extensions, there is a palpable sense of structure, creative zeal and musical arc, not to mention the rare achievement of ambience and force. Georgian Techno has found more visionary, precision-focused beat-makers and Gacha Bakradze is sure to represent to the international stage.

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