Altiplano, Volor Flex’s effervescent collab with fellow Russian producer and good friend Encode, is yet another dateless - albeit state-of-the-art - immersion into the polyrhythmic, dense, visceral compositions that this prolific artist is constantly fine-tuning somewhere in the steppe of the Ural Mountains.

There’s a lot of synced up emotional comfort and tension happening on both sides of the release, balanced-out, as ever, by artfully crafted elements of structure and style. Among them, the everpresent UK garage signature, the noise-drenched soundscapes, the sharp snares, the skittering beats, the melancholy vocals (especially on Altiplano, which easily competes with You In Me or Fake Love in unforgettableness), plus those entrancing moments of fervor followed by profound relief that Volor is such a master of.

The main track and subsequently the EP were named after the highest and largest plateau in South America, and that’s how exalted and wide-reaching this music should feel. Both inner-city and otherwordly, both London and Syktyvkar, the 7-track, two-sided EP is going deep to get that right, raw vibe. The 12” comes with a wonderfully exciting digital perk, a sweet and soulful bonus track titled Avia.
credits
released 14 October 2013
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