Function – Incubation

The debut full-length album from New York's David Sumner under his Function alias has been a long time coming – his production and remix credits using the moniker stretch back to 1996, and as an integral part of the Sandwell District label, which he set up in 2002 with Regis, and under which name the pair DJ'd throughout the early '00s, he gained international recognition for his visionary take on techno music.

Opening with the sedate, cinematic Voiceprint, it is clear that Incubation will offer more than just four-to-the-floor thrills, although those are present in the dark and brooding Against The Wall, the Detroit-flavoured Modifier, and the percussive Inter. But on Counterpoint, we get layered synths over beat-less, swooping rhythmic pads; while pulsing electro-techno rhythms dominate the acid-edged Psychic Warfare and the bubbling 808s of Gradient 1. Sumner's production nicely treads the line between minimalism and complexity, with a convincing depth of field – Incubation was definitely worth the wait. [Bram E. Gieben]