Words by the ever erudite Adam Turner.

Throne Of Blood’s 16^th birthday celebrations arrive at the release of their fourth Anniversary EP, hot on the heels of a trio which run a gamut of dance music styles with only excellence and an intent on body-moving and rump-shaking the common denominator.

Daniel Avery, creator of one of 2022’s finest albums, in the shape of Ultra Truth, opens the E.P. with Ricochet, which bursts in a blast of noise and a trademark thumping, distorted kick drum. Repeating synth melodies are layered on top, shifting key occasionally. Techno for dark basement rooms, with sticky corners, and beautifully done. Nice long, slow fade-out too.

Heidi Sabertooth’s Nylon Future follows – more dark techno but from New York rather than a shipping container overlooking the River Thames in East London. Massively overloaded bass, synth arpeggios skittering about, rapid fire drums, and a vocal sample so mangled and chopped up that it’s barely human any more. The descending Hoover bass halfway through allows the listener/ dancer a breather for a moment or two, but then the drums launch back in and the darkness deepens.

Japanese producer Que Sakamoto lightens the mood with Kakegae – chimes, bells and piano, more FXed vocal samples, and insistent rattling, everything whirling around and then snapping back into focus. Adding some colour and light to the dark and shade.

The fourth track on this fourth E.P. is from Hoshina Anniversary, also from Japan. Eiroku slams in with an ascending synth bassline and some traditional Japanese instruments – kick drum kicking amidst widescreen sounds and FX. Completely absorbing listened to at home, and in the right party venue completely capable of causing some hands-in-the-air mayhem.

Throne Of Blood’s  Anniversary E.P. 4 is out now, and can be ordered directly from Bandcamp.

You can find more quality prose from Adam Turner over at his own brilliant blog, The Bagging Area.