François X
Bound States
XX LAB
When François X first rose to prominence in the 2010s, he was spearheading a new generation of Parisian artists who’d gotten their start at Concrete, the storied (and now-shuttered) club on the bank of the Seine. Alongside peers like Antigone and Heartbeat (with whom he founded the DEMENT3D label), he helped to usher in a new wave of lean and funky European techno that had a touch more groove than much of what was coming out of Germany at the time.
François X has since become a full-blown techno titan, and it’s easy to hear what makes his sound so appealing. “Bones & Harmony,” the lead track from his new Bound States EP, perfectly captures his careful blend, as it initially seems like a bare-bones DJ tool, but thanks to its slight sashay and gradually unfurling melodies, the tune calls back to the beating heart of Midwestern Soul. This yin and yang of austerity and warmth also colors the record’s title cut, where ropy synths cascade across the stereo field like late-summer rain being sloughed off by windshield wipers.
The EP’s other two tracks are a bit darker, but even when François X is painting with minor keys, little flecks of sunlight dart through. For instance, towards the middle of the anxious, bleeping “Type X”— a tune that’s filled with haunted rave chords—there is the afterglow of a melody that hits like a reminder that even the worst comedowns will eventually come to an end.
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