There’s a juggernaut approaching and Bryan Zentz is at the wheel. Plus 8’s latest recruit is one of the unsung heroes of the US techno scene with a career that stretches way back to 1994 and a debut release on the Hawtin/Acquaviva label Definitive. A producer’s producer, Bryan has naturally spent most of the time since then releasing EPs and LPs under various guises including Barada and Stare5, traversing the globe as a DJ and establishing his own dub influenced Disruptor imprint. More recent outings have introduced his unmistakeable sound to a whole new generation and with the vampirically themed Midnight Teeth EP hitting such a rich vein of form, his current renaissance shows no signs of slowing. First up, Lokjaw is a gritty, subsonic adventure dominated by urgent, staccato analogue pulses and a wickedly funky hi-hat/snare combination. It’s immediately apparent that Zentz is an architect of highly complex sound structures, whose skilful blend of tonal percussion, melodic rhythms and sci-fi fx adds real depth to his productions. Here, the peripheral rhythms are inventive without ever being obtrusive, while the percussive parts are subtly tweaked in every conceivable direction as the the track spins on its axis creating a non-orientable moebius loop on the dancefloor. Zentz’ basslines take you back to a bygone era of chronic 303 abuse and Shadowtalk in particular, recalls much of what was great about the mid 90s with the additional benefit of cutting edge software that updates the sound, taking us on another powerful trip. Utilising a tense, repetitive mid-range bassline that fights its way through wave after wave of expansive reverb and a hypnotic hook that leads unsuspectingly into the eye of the storm, Shadowtalk is relentless in its execution, returning time and again as it reaches new levels of intensity. Massive! With chunky, slamming beats that will dominate even the most stubborn dancefloor, Vania boils over from the very beginning with an electrified synth riff and central cavorting melody that demand a euphoric response. Accelerating towards maximum velocity, fragments of the future start to cut through as yet another rising synth patch soars skywards crystallising into a beautiful, icy melody that slowly melts in the heat of the after burners as we find ourselves orbiting 300 miles above the planet. Then, with a Fixed Eye back on the road ahead Zentz serves up the last of this durable collection of future classics. Primarily it’s the deep, squelching moog bass that grabs the attention as it bleeds through the cart-wheeling synth structures while the rapid-fire percussion threatens to ricochet out of sight. It’s all kept together by the reliable traction of the heavy beats and trademark shuffle of the rhythm section as the track motors out into the distance, bringing this essential EP to a close.