There’s a thin line between steady-beat, boutique-friendly techno and true minimal techno. The line is often a matter of absence. It’s called “minimal” techno for a reason.
Take, for example, the latest release from the Pozitron netlabel, the Reminiscences EP by Audidump. It’s four tracks of relatively slo-mo, decidedly 4/4 background music, but there’s arguably one track of the bunch, “Dream Reminiscence,” that stands out — or, more to the point, that doesn’t stand out. Aside from some abrasive gestures toward vinyl fetishism and, toward the close, some gossamer synths, the track is comfortable lingering below the level of attentive listening (MP3).
By contrast, the other entries each have something that draws attention to itself: ghostly synth sounds and a plinky melody reminiscent of the Cure (“7 pm.”), haunting vocal samples and an Angelo Badalamenti”“quality lushness (“Old Radio”) and a single-note whimper of a lead line (“People”). Of course, tastes will vary; one person’s foreground is another’s background — so check out the full batch at protonmonkz.uw.hu.