Aucan – Stelle Fisse

Far from the shy retiring geeks of electro stereotype, Italian trio Aucan have toured incessantly over the last few years, playing over 300 shows supporting the likes of The Chemical Brothers, Matmos and Fuck Buttons.

If the sprawling and cosmic Stelle Fisse is anything to go by, Aucan could soon be stepping up to headline status themselves, with their combination of minimalist post-rock and modular techno sure to win over crowds of earnest beard strokers and rave kids alike.

Key to Aucan’s brilliance is the emotion they bring to their hypnotic soundscapes. If this initially comes across as a bit moody on opener Disgelo’s ominous drum intro and haunting vocals, it’s soon replaced by the calming ambient rave of Loop/Layers.

The best example of the Italians’ melding of live instruments and electronics comes with Disto, while towards the album’s end they successfully set the controls for the heart of the sun on Outer Space and the far-better-than-it-sounds Cosmic Dub.