Casus

Orquesm return to Bonzai Progressive with the superb Techno infused album titled Casus. This one follows their recent debut here with DragOn which performed very well indeed. Orquesm are a Dutch DJ and producer duo aka Jeffrey Bakker & Michael Ulrich. They started out in the nineties playing at some of the biggest nights in the Netherlands alongside a plethora of top, well-known DJ’s, so it’s no surprise that these strong roots have given them the ability to make and play such great music. Their style varies depending on what they feel like producing and all their productions have a strong rhythmic drive as a basis. To date they have a very impressive list of releases to their name on several labels and their sound is championed by many well-established jocks and producers. Great to see them back.

The album opens with the title track, Casus, with its menacing, pounding kick drums and soft brushed hi hats. The track’s identity is stamped with a deep rumbling bassline and sets the tone for the first half of this stunning work, which continues with the equally powerful and deep rooted Loosoe. A more atmospheric track, we’re drawn into the groove with eerie FX chilling pads which are set up against a tight, rhythmic drum section. Xerow is up next and signals a shift into a more club orientated groove with a more pronounced 4×4 beat and accompanying bassline. We’re still locked into a deep Techno vibe thanks to those layered basses which deliver sub level rumbles and gritty scratches. Dinge takes us into the hypnotic zone with some trippy cosmic sounds coming off the synths. As we’d expect, the track is driven by a beautifully crafted drum section that delivers punchy kicks and crispy, shuffling hi hats and percussions. Subtle melodic phrases add a unique twist to the Techno groove as we find on the break before the deep bubbling bassline returns for the duration. An opening appears in the midst of the Techno murk in the form of Oempia which delivers a superb hybrid cut with a sprinkling of progressive grooves thrown in. A nice and solid beat drives the track alongside a bold, moving bassline that dominates the setting. Strange vocal snippets are joined by creative FX as a mesmeric pad rises up. This atmospheric gem is rich in dynamics and serves as the penultimate track on this stunning pack. Injectble is the final cut on this fantastic album and is the track that defines Orquesm’s style with its blend of sounds borrowed from all the previous tracks. Driven by a tight beat and shuffling percussion arrangement, rumbling basses and hypnotic synths deliver a solid groove that borders genres. The break intensifies with the synths coming to the forefront before the pounding kicks return for the duration. 6 outstanding tracks that will find their way into many sets, no doubt.