Listening to him in 2026, one would never guess that, just under a decade and a half ago, one of Scottish artist Neil McDonald’s first releases was pure disco house. Yet it soon becomes clear that even on the more stripped-back tracks of the EP Venus Flux, he refuses to stand still. This is light-footed, psychedelic dub-techno. Less is not more, but everything.
On the opener »Mushroom Talk« tension is maintained to the max. It isn’t necessary anyway; no one’s missing a beat here. In his minimalist soundscape, small synth moments flicker to life again and again, shaped by the barely perceptible bass from the background into a warm, unassuming ambient track. ‘Betuladub’ that follows is gentler, repetitive dub with an uncanny pull thanks to the stoic beat, which, though lacking in force, ploughs on unwaveringly. »Petaldub« is no less determined than it is minimal, driving dub-techno, on which the reverb pulls out all the atmospheric stops.
The title track, however, opens up a whole new category right at the end. During the first quarter of an hour of the EP, a piece of dreamy electro has set off from the edge of the galaxy and arrived just in time to unleash its echoing, almost New Age-tinged robotic funk upon us. Praise the Lord.
Venus Flux
