[Long Island Electrical Systems]

Many house labels claim to be sonically far reaching, but whether they really are is often up for debate. Ron Morelli’s L.I.E.S. makes no such claims, but manages to cast a pretty wide sonic net either way, from Legowelt’s shimmering acid to Professor Genius’ Persia-inspired soundtracks. Now we can add Regis-style industrial techno to that list, as the label’s latest release with a white label and non-integer catalog number is about as austere as they come. It’s another label debut, this time from New Yorker Shawn O’Sullivan under his Vapauteen moniker. Like many of the L.I.E.S. releases thus far it reveals yet another seemingly fresh-faced New York producer who sounds like he’s been producing for ages (whether or not he has is besides the point).

“Weld” pounds away with a wrecking ball of a kick drum and enough barely contained bee buzzing and filtered white noise to make Audion run for the hills, and that’s essentially it. Some pitched percussion comes in every now and again to provide some semblance of a hook, but the track really doesn’t need it: the simple percussion and kinetic noise are more than enough to foment some potent techno hypnotism. “Measure” is similar, with Planetary Assault System-like bells joining the gang, but it’s on “Mediate” where O’Sullivan really goes for the jugular. Here the noisy bits are in swift, discernible patterns and the kick programming is tension filled. These tracks were recorded in one take and, far from being a gimmick, they’re glowing examples of how to create visceral, hard-hitting music without sequencers. Amidst a sea of techno pressed up on stamped white labels, this one stands out as the real deal: there’s nearly zero information about the artist to be found online, and the record arrives — if you can find it — with very little hype. Grab it while you can.