Der Zyklus
Truth Matrix
Clone Aqualung Series
The Drexciya massive already knows that pretty much anything made by Gerald Donald (a.k.a. Heinrich Mueller) is going to have a particular sonic palette. Wiggly grooves, electro-tinged rhythms, sci-fi atmospheres with intermittent splashes of color … it’s a recipe the Detroit native has developed over the course of several decades, and while it’s undeniably familiar, it has yet to grow stale.
Truth Matrix, a new 12-inch from his Der Zyklus alias, largely continues along the same musical current, yet it also introduces a subtle new wrinkle: it’s kind of a tracky record. That observation might send a shudder through the comment sections of the Drexciya Research Lab, but anyone concerned can rest assured that Donald hasn’t suddenly started making greyscale techno plodders. “Truth Matrix” still sounds like Der Zyklus (or Dopplereffekt, or Drexciya); it just unfolds in a somewhat more linear fashion, calmly strutting across the dancefloor with the poise (and the subtly sullen scowl) of a high-end runway model. For those craving something with a bit more oomph, the flip puts DPX in the driver’s seat, and rather than remixing “Truth Matrix,” the Dutch producer has crafted a “data sanitization,” thickening up the drums while maintaining the source material’s moody aesthetic.