Founder of the multi-disciplinary imprint KCZ/CZT/KCZX, Ben Kaczor delivers his six-track ‘Sun Chapter One’ LP via the platform this April.
Basel, Switzerland based artist Ben Kaczor is the founder of KCZ/CZT/KCZX, a border crossing project encompassing his collaborative approach to production, performance and visual art, and over the years has been unveiling his hypnotic twist on techno and performing across Europe and Asia as well as operating as night manager and booker at Chinese underground institution TAG in Chengdu. Over the years he’s gained support from the likes of Japan’s Wata Igarashi, Tripeo aka Darko Esser and Music From Memory artist Michael Turtle, a striking sign of his ability to craft intricate, emotive and powerful techno.
‘Lights’ opens the project with a delicate billowing pad and pulsating subs at its core while pops, clicks, whirrs and chimes ebb and flow within the ten-minute composition. ‘The Fool’ follows and tips the focus over to raw saturated drums, dubbed out chords sequences and an intricately unfolding resonant synth line throughout. ‘Passage’ then strips things back to stuttering chords and ethereal swells driving the arrangement amongst muted drums and minute percussive hits.
Opening the second half of the album is ‘Spinning Wheels’, edging into darker territories via a menacing bass groove, bubbling delays and skippy drums, while tripped out voices and ornate modulations wind within. ‘Alternation’ then leans aesthetically back towards a hypnotic, low-slung feel as subtly nuanced, vacillating chord flutters and wandering twitchy synths float atop shuffled drums. ‘Chronos’ then rounds out the release, employing a more classic dub techno feel through atmospheric hiss, rounded subs, boomy kick and dusty off beat hi-hat.