Generally whatever Bryan Kasenic’s Bunker New York label does, it does well. From its roots in the city’s underground party scene, a label was founded back in 2014 that has racked up a total of 20 releases to date. The theme is a clear one: club-ready techno of the highest order, the kind you might expect to hear at the infamous events of the same name. On only a few occasions have the artists that fill its catalog (who would also feature in the lineups of the affiliated party series) provided more than one release, covering a broad, ever-tasteful spectrum of styles and productions.

The next comes from one of Japan’s freshest talents—Wata Igarashi. Despite having made his debut release only three years ago, it’s tough to imagine today’s techno landscape without him. His mastery of the genre matured over several decades: a skate punk youth, an adult life composing music for television, and an abiding intimacy with his instruments all factored into his well-received arrival on the global scene back in 2013.

In a comment on the release, Igarashi made the point that his fellow countrymen have a penchant for refining things; Mood of the Machines is no exception. Its four cuts share the same hallmarks of his previous works—quick-paced, raw, yet somehow elegant production—though that is where their closer similarities end.

“Part I” pulses with the steady palpitations of a plumped-out bassline, gently nuzzled by precise, energetic percussion. “Part IV” relies on an alien-sounding acid hook, while the hypnotic “Part III” is more akin to trance. The most ominous of the lot is “Part II”—crawling Mills-esque bleeps ring, an austere kick pounds, and a cosmic synth swoops in and out. It’s a mood that you experience in the darkest hour on the Berghain floor, completing an emphatic Bunker New York debut in which Igarashi puts no foot wrong.

Mood of the Machines will be released September 23. Pre-order it at Bandcamp.

Tracklisting:

A1. Mood of the Machines Part I
A2. Mood of the Machines Part II
B1. Mood of the Machines Part III
B2. Mood of the Machines Part IV