Art by José Parlá
[Frozen Border] (buy vinyl) (buy mp3s tk)
Amid the current explosion of stamped white labels, Frozen Border stand apart for being among the truly mysterious. What do we know about them? Frozen Border is a record label and each 12″ is done by a different producer; aside from that, nothing. Their preference for anonymity and austere packaging hark back to the days of 90s techno, and it should come as little surprise the music does as well. Rather than rehashing the past, however, Frozen Border records leap from their 90’s reference points into the contemporary techno scene, resulting in fresh and forward-thinking productions.
The third in the Frozen Border series isn’t a groundbreaking record, but it sure is a good one. On the A side spring loaded dub chords whack away at the sturdy, jacking beat while frigid pads slowly drift along in the distance. There isn’t much variation over the course of its six minutes, though it need much to divide and conquer. These same sounds are softened on the B side, a more subtle and nuanced cut. It feels like it’s constantly building, assuredly heading towards some snow-capped peak, but ends before reach the summit. While it may be difficult at times for this writer to find his Frozen Borders among Traversable Wormholes, MDRs, Do Not Resist the Beat!s, Equalized and other white labels in his record stack, the extra digging is entirely worth it. Frozen Border 03 is reflective of its stripped down package: utilitarian and totally pragmatic techno, letting nothing distract from the simplistic delight of a purely head-down groove.
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