Graze

Building on the strength of an EP and single on New Kanada, Adam Marshall and Christian "XI" Andersen's debut album as Graze furthers the duo's moody take on bass influenced techno. Their template on Edges fluidly incorporates thick bass tones, shuffling rhythms and compact synth melodies: "Skip/Crush," with its cut up drums, subterranean foundation and pointed synth blasts opens Edges, giving way to the icy textures of "Cold Drop" before a gnarled bass line consumes the track. "Stack Array," meanwhile, utilizes low-slung bass lines and careful melodic touches to suggest vulnerability and an underlying tension that seems woven throughout Edges. Album closer "Oath" takes on an almost cinematic quality, wrapping up their debut with an ambient excursion that is grounded with wobbling bass. While Marshall and Andersen are both established producers, Graze allows them the freedom to not only explore new territory, but also to help define it.