FEC - IT HAPPENS AT NIGHT - RENAISSANCE

Following a solid remix of Samar Soltan's “Damar” last year, Mexican DJ & producer Fec is back on the revered UK imprint Renaissance Records with the drop of his first solo EP, It Happens At Night. Entrancing, the three-track outing sees Anathema Records founder Fec treading new, darker waters, as he meddles with electronica, house, and a dash of Detroit-laced edge, warping sounds to his will in a pact with the late hours.

The Juarez-based producer sets the tone with “Nocturne Danza”, a stirring affair where night creatures meander in the dark before a hypnotic drone ebbs and flows, intertwining with a delightful sequence that gleams under the moonlight sky. Transformed under the full moon, the synthetic pulses grow drenched in a sonic pastiche of effects, showing its true, unbridled form, as an alluring vocal sample runs amok, tantalizing the senses for a truly mesmerizing act that follows in its own footsteps.

Upping the ante, Fec conjures the brash “Midnight Medicine”. Here, a broken beat and skittish percussive patterns pave the way for a meandering drone that makes its way through processed vocal chops and distorted metallic keys. Wonky and trippy in equal parts, “Midnight Medicine” sets listeners up for an esoteric journey with its haunting lead vocal call as it leads us through harrowing ambiances and collapsing grooves for a wild ride bound to break a sweat or two on the dancefloor.

Closing the voyage through the otherworldly realms is the powerful “Nightfall Spell”, with its synthetic pulses that traverse through gritty effects and iridescent brass swells as loose mechanical parts tick away like clockwork. Once the spell is cast, neon classic stabs take center stage. unleashing an irresistible monster of a riff, before the track contorts once again, mutating into a towering hybrid with a full-blown breaks section, reimagining itself in the blink of an eye in a dazzling display of creativity

Renaissance Records continues to defy the conventions of the dancefloor with every release, and Fec’s esoteric It Happens At Night is a perfect example of why the label is so highly regarded to this day, with its defying approach to boundaries, while still managing to break new grounds. A testament to the evolution of Fec, It Happens At Night sets a high bar that will certainly stand as his calling card for some time.

Rating: 8.8 / 10