- Trip has gleefully swerved off the beaten track with this new EP. PTU, a Russian duo, aren't much bothered with functionality and formulas. A Broken Clock Is Right Twice A Day does contain dance music tropes like acid lines, breaks and steady kick drums, but they aren't the record's guiding influence or defining feature. Dance music is a source of energy, rather than a set of constraints.
A Broken Clock Is Right Twice A Day is exacting. Not a detail is out of place, the position of each sound is specific. The title track is wild techno, but the connections between its sounds are exceptionally precise. A bell tolls, heralding a sudden swoosh of noise, which knocks into a synth before exploding into a choked sparkle. But in the moment, this is all just an evocative burst of colour. As such, these tracks never sound laborious or overworked.
Despite the rave indicators in tracks like "Yes," the crisp, abstract sound design found elsewhere on the EP calls to mind the high-impact style of experimental grime. There's some humour, too. "Between Us" places lion roars on top of a hushed voice saying something about beasts, while "April Theme" had me thinking they'd sampled Lil' Wayne. But some of the most striking moments are the record's quietest. "Intact Alef" is the EP's opener, but it pairs delicate pads and goofy synth tones with such beauty that it remained in mind six tracks later.
TracklistA1 Intact Alef
A2 A Broken Clock Is Right Twice A Day
A3 Yes
B1 Between Us
B2 April Theme
B3 Lizard
B4 Armlet