Audiopile Review: Finally arriving at the long format after a steady string of 12”s, UK producer Conrad Pack summons a potent dose of his driving techno on the triumphant Commandments. With relentless force, Pack hearkens back to the hammering end of R&S-era Aphex while also referencing Spiral Tribe’s manic techno, lacing it with a stepper’s edge that might bring back memories of dubstep’s initial incarnation. His industrial-strength barrage is purposefully offset with warm washes of ambient tones and slowly-surfacing hypno-melodies, burnishing hardened edges and applying soothing balms. We’re all for the pounding that truly unleashed techno production can dole out, but Pack’s ability to cool the heels amidst the militaristic onslaught is much better suited to a full length. It’s endlessly rinsable and brings us back to a not too distant era when powerful long form statements from acts like Shifted, SHXCXCHCXSH or Function were seemingly a regular occurrence.

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“Main influence for this lies somewhere between Puppy Tapes, Spiral Tribe & Hallucinator (+ Drill). Lots of it was made in my studio in Brixton during 2020-2021 as lockdown ensued then opened up and Scram began with Julian [Fairshare, R.I.P.] + Guy [Leeway]. I had the impetus to start SELN with Gonz as it felt like the time was right to create something more concise and solid to put out our own music under as it felt like a sound was emerging between myself, Gonz and Guy.

“The music itself was trying to merge the grandeur of steppers / dub, the drive + general no-fuks-given of Puppy and Spiral Tribe, plus general industrial music techniques, etc, but all the while having good mixdowns where the kick and bass would sound and work well in a club.

“All the tracks are 150bpm because I was just consistently rinsing DJ Valentime$ and [DJ] Salazar everyday (but then listening to ‘Red Angel’ in the car to Woolwich). I think with clubs being closed during the time a lot of the recordings were being made, and then Scram starting just as more than 3 people were legally allowed to converge, it really felt like a whole world / new possibilities for dance music had opened for us. I really thought we had found the new dubstep and it was going to be a world-changing genre shift…ha.”