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Don’t be fooled by the name, Clouds are about as rough and spiky as it gets. Words like “rowdy”, “boisterous” and “ragged” have been used to describe Calum Macleod and Liam Robertson’s voluminous output together on the likes of Soma and Fifth Wall, with the unlikely Turbo shouldering most of the brunt. And since the release of their album, Ghost Systems Rave, Clouds have only gotten more gnarled and savage, as their Tannhauser Acid Works series and latest cassette release for Opal Tapes will attest. But [ EDLX046 ] could be their most formidable yet.

From a clean slate Clouds present four scuzzy techno cuts full of rattling irreverence that settle in nicely between AnD’s gun-slinging and Sawlin & Subjected’s heady, virulent soundscapes. On the A-side “Maverick Scrabble” dives straight in without pausing for breath whilst “Castres Olympique” slides around on un-oiled hinges as it layers itself up over time. Dramatic chords, rattles, bells, static noise and industrial pangs are all woven in, making this a densely packed and textural number. Then on the flip “Coast Range Arc” is like a blast from some cavernous subterranean workshop fathoms below the surface, leaving “Polgate Slamen” to close things on a tough, tight and itchy tip. “Fixed Kaos Network Fee” is your digital freebee that’s big, bold and wildly unpredictable—use it well.