Helena Hauff – Discreet Desires

An established DJ, Helena Hauff has earned a reputation for pummeling dancefloors with her jagged, hardware-oriented techno, so it’s little surprise that her first full length effort for the Actress-helmed Werkdiscs is an intense listen. Hauff’s jarring combination of bright chiptune leads, somber synth strings and the caustic drive of early industrial acts like DAF is among the most distinctive sounds you’re likely to hear in a club this year, and given the raw energy of tracks like L’Homme Mort, chances are you will.

Make no mistake though, this is music best suited to sweaty underground lockers where its visceral qualities take precedence. Individually, a number of the tracks make strong impressions – like Tryst, a hyperactive flight through pinging laser that takes a sinister turn halfway in – but digested as a whole, their mechanical repetition and minimal melodic nuance becomes a little wearying. In the right mix though, something here could make your night.