Kohra & Monophonik Come Together For Cerebral Techno EP 'Eastern Timbres'

Madhav Shorey aka Kohra and Shatrunjai Dewan aka Monophonik, two of the leading names in India's current techno talent, have come together once again for the collaborative EP 'Eastern Timbres', released via Prague-and-Berlin-based Harmony Rec.

Being experienced acts in the genre, the pair doesn't falter in their arrangement of near-relentless thump of the kick or its complementary hi-hat runs or throwing in atonal synth sounds to echo around the soundscape – the basic and, at this point, usually uninteresting staple elements of techno on their own. The true flavour of the 4-track release is in the warmth juxtaposed against the cold rhythms and eerie vaccuum in which the echoes ring out.

On the B-side, it happens through the ambient walls of strings and pads that begin but never manage to engulf the utilitarian assembly of the percussion, with the title track adding a melodic pattering like a flurry of molten tabla hits to augment the headiness.

The standout, not just in the EP but in the discography of both the artists, however, is 'Wavefolding Dreams'. It's a track which would remain invigorating and compelling to the dancefloor even without its drums as the pulsating bass itself maintains a strong groove – not through its overall rhythm, which remains consistent, but by the sudden rise and fall of grit in its transforming timbre. Just as the trick fully settles, Kohra and Monophonik leave us in a pool of barely audible vocal samples, like hallucinations in smoky pads, before taking us on a gradual journey back into rhythm.

Listen to 'Eastern Timbres' below and follow Kohra and Monophonik for more information.