In 2012, Static Discos made a compilation with the premise of building it around slow techno from the likes of Mexican avantronic artists like Fax, Cubenx, and Macario. Low & Behold was a successful experiment that yields this sequel with selections of sounds to get down in slo-mo.
The sequencing on the album is exquisite, starting with a drone track from witch house survivors Ñaka Ñaka; it’s dark, beatless, and amazing. Although it’s billed as a slow techno album, it has many other influences within its contributions from all the artists. From the opener onward, tempo and textures start to pick up in millimetric ranges. White Visitation’s turn features an extremely minimalistic beat along with mechanical sounds and ambient guitars; Schez continues with the minimal setting but adds subwoofer-rattling bass to the mix. The only artist to be featured in both volumes of the comp, Federico Crespo displays his stuff on the epic and ambitious “La Persistencia Del Misterio.”
Vampire Slayer explores corners of his own sound we come to expect and love in a plainly dark track that marches to a steady pace of weirdness. Mirror Pop introduces vocals into the mix, along with a more rhythmic beat that still drags the BPM count (for good). For “The Awaken One,” Trillones gets Rancho Shampoo along for the ride, displaying volume-swelling synths, quiet guitars, and whispered vocals. For the last turn, Ivano gets his buzzing synth on as well as some cheap electro piano in a tune that’s constantly morphing.
An excellent moody album without a throwaway track, a rare occurrence when the label “various artists” appears on a compilation. Low & Behold 2 will be available October 6.