Luke Slater is in the process of putting a fifth album together for release on Mute. In the interim Novamute are treating us to a series of singles which won't be appearing on the LP.

This, the first single in the series, is an especially motley assortment of beats: Traktion Action is a pounding slab of nosebleed techno, Intensity is reminiscent of Slater's earlier techno/breaks output, whilst EDBD is essentially a filtered house cut (Slater-style). The title track is dominated by the kick drum, which hurtles along at breakneck speed against a jumping triplet rhythm in the hi hats and a heavy analogue bass. Slater's trademark recourse to early sampled drum breaks adds some interest to the loop, whilst dub flavoured FX and analogue horns fill out the higher frequencies. I couldn't abide the massive snare rolls, whose only remaining devotee must be Dave Pearce and, at 13 minutes long, the track needed to have a more interesting shape. That aside Slater does pull off a punky, fresh approach to techno oozing with style and overall you have to love its sheer insanity.

Intensity is a different kind of experiment altogether. There's a distinctly pop feel to the vocal, which has been given the ‘telephone treatment'; and the bass riff is spread over a much longer loop, to create the illusion of live playing. Exotic percussive instruments and chopped up breaks supply the groove. EDBD features a rich distorted guitar hook which ducks in and out of the beat in the style of a Daft Punk cut. The theme is doubled at points by trancey pads, which jar with retro house beats. Both tunes are made up of purposefully disparate elements, which suggest that Slater is treading new ground in preparation for his next album. Still, at a time when electronic artists are increasingly obsessed by the LP format, you have to commend Novamute for their continued focus on quality 12s.