Glaswegian DJ and producer Graeme Clark (The Revenge) has released his newest album When the Thrill Comes after a string of successful years. Distributed by his own record imprint Roar Groove, the album delivers a techno experience that encourages a single listen from start to end.
Opening the LP is Top Buzz which starts minimally with just a synth loop. It builds and builds as the track develops so that the simple synth lead soon becomes a full fledged techno dance tune. It’s a slow start but Top Buzz serves as a starter to let listeners know what they’re in for. It’s followed by Distant Signal which has everything a dance track needs. Clark brings together everything that would feature at one of his live shows. It’s minimal and gives each beat room to breathe; the vocal interludes never clutter the track. The bridge in this track offers some break from the repetition and does so beautifully with a vocal sample.
Nasehorn has an almost anxiety-inducing build that only makes its beat all the more moving once it drops. In contrast A Dream Or Some Substance is a slow track that gives listeners time to unwind. The vocal samples shine here, really adding to the beats and enveloping the listener. Voodoo Cocktail sounds like a track straight out of the late 90s. The beat is relaxed and it is a perfect ambient track to study and focus to.
Other stand outs are Another Illusion and the title track When the Thrill Comes. Throughout the album Clark manages to condense an energetic live show into an LP. It’s the perfect ambient record for a house party. It has the dance tunes to get people moving but it’s never so powerful as to be distracting. Like great electronic music the album elicits a trance-like feeling as you really are taken over by the music.
Those who enjoy this style of music likely already know who The Revenge is and will have this album on their radar, but for those who are new to the genre or who would like to listen to more techno then The Revenge can’t be recommended enough. A fantastic album that distills the feeling of a night in Sub Club into a hour long album.