François X – The Skin Between Us I-II

French techno visionary Francois X unveils the first chapter of his two-part EP on XX LAB. It’s a masterclass in introspective European techno in which the French producer fuses the rawness of Black American electronic music with his own club-honed sensibility to create a deeply personal and poetic statement. ‘Bone’ and ‘Signal’ drive the floor with kinetic force, while ‘No More Shell’ hypnotises and ‘Silent Tension’ descends into slow, meditative emotion. Each track is a fragment of a larger narrative that offers techno as somewhere for reflection. Part II arrives later and if this is anything to go by, this two-part exploration is some of his best work yet.