Function aka Dave Sumner presents “Incubation”, his first solo album on Ostgut Ton.  Over nine tracks we are guided through the varying moods and scenes of Function’s musical temperament. Be it through writhing layered club tracks, soaring string-led atmospheres, or melodic pieces founded on classic electronic traditions, ‘Incubation’ marks a new level of maturity for the Berlin-based producer.

It seems incredible to think that despite his nearly 20 years of production experience, Dave Sumner hasn’t released a full Function album until this year. Thankfully Incubation proves it’s been well worth the wait with the Sandwell District member really stretching his legs out for one of those techno albums that is most definitely an album experience. This nine track set bristles with great ideas and murky atmospherics, combining dystopian sci-fi soundtrack textures with the precision techno he’s become known for. There are robust dancefloor tracks – see the murky acid techno of “Against The Wall” and sweaty “Modifier” – but also moments of intense, melodic beauty, from the crystalline bliss of “Counterpoint”, to the dreamy hypnotism of “Inter (album version)”.

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