MGUN: If you’re reading this EP – reviewed

MGUN’s forthcoming six tracker on Dont Be Afraid is a showcase of the mans versatile, eccentric talent. Kicking off with the frankly unhinged Hand over Fifth, an adventure in pitch shifting that sounds something like a very heavily sedated Squarepusher playing a casio, its abundantly clear that MGUN is no cookie-cutter techno producer. Moving on to Proxy, he showcases his old school credentials with a nice driving cut of wind-tunnel acid before closing the A side with Funnel Vision – another big reverb-y piece of avant techno – an overdriven kick pushing a shimmering arp, drenched in a sense of post apocalyptic dread. 

On the B side, Jijijijij$ijijijiji is a slice of beautifully eroded classic electro, sounding like a crew of broken, bolshy machines talking aggressively amongst themselves. Next up, Tritan is probably the most immediate track on the EP, the most obviously Detroit sounding and the most straight ahead. Closing with the short yet epic Bean Chirp, which comes over like an 80s arcade theme recovering from a meth jag, If Youre Reading This is full of colour and character from the off. 

Throughout all of the tracks theres a juxtaposition between the playfulness of MGUNs melodies and arrangements and the hardness of the sound palette. Theres a new school of fresh, exciting producers coming out of Detroit led, undoubtedly, by the young genius of Kyle Hall, and without a shadow of a doubt MGUN is high on that list. This EP should bring him further into the limelight he deserves. Cop it.

‘If You’re Reading This’ is released on May 27th on Don’t Be Afraid.