Technical Know-How

EPs have long been a safe method for musicians to release music and test the waters of an industry that will assess and typecast artists according to the sounds of full length album releases. Aki Latvamäki has been making a living cranking out EPs for years, and his latest endeavor, the It Is Not Now Either EP, brings a new flavor to his signature techno style.

Aki’s own organic disco edit of the title track is first on the EP shows listeners the bare bones EDM journey that is “It Is Not Now Either” for just under 11 minutes. The rhythmic loops are paired with progressive leads and evolving melodies, making for a soundtrack which would fit flawlessly with any modern day side scrolling video game. The Mega-Man imagery is truly prominent.

“Now A Series Of,” the only original song on the EP which is not a version of the title track, begins with deep, pulsing, trance loops and the mumbling, inaudible lyrics reminiscent of a John Digweed tune. Also included on this EP are two versions by Max Cooper, a lucid and psychedelic “Sub Dub” cut as well as the glitchy oscillations found on “Pseudologue,” respectively. Finally, It Is Not Now Either EP closes out with a fast and furious remix by Atsushi Shimomura which, much like every track on the EP, sounds like it belongs in a film score. Picture an epic Light Bike race from Tron.

Not unlike the typical reception for EPs, It Is Not Now Either should only be purchased by the most hardcore of either Aki Latvamäki fans or techno aficionados. EDM heads will definitely take something away from giving this EP a listen, but adding it to your MP3 player might be superseded by moving on to explore new, more experimental, and even weirder electronic music.