“Elysea” is a somewhat deceivingly human-sounding title for this machine-made track from Seattle’s Josef Gaard. One of four tunes set to be included on the artist’s forthcoming Obsidian Falls EP for the Blankstairs label, “Elysea” is a piece of atmospheric techno that piles many layers of reverberant metallic clangs and echo-drowned textures across its plodding thump. From the onset, Gaard utilizes what sounds like the hum of a hard-working engine to churn above the track’s thick kicks, gradually dubbing out the engine’s rattle as he streaks a wide array of elongated textures atop his production’s efficient rhythmic core. Gaard—a resident of Seattle’s Secondnature crew—will issue his Obsidian Falls EP in both digital and vinyl formats on March 31; in the meantime, his “Elysea” production can be grabbed below.

Elysea