Device Protocols CD

Igor Arsenjev's work as Gradient - and rather a lot has been released since he debuted in 2009 - has frequently dived deep into the more ambient, sound design obsessed end of the dub techno spectrum. On his new album for Ranges Records, the long-serving producer has tweaked his template a little. What's an offer, a suite of nine tracks, retains the hypnotic, locked-in, late-night feel of his tracks, but relies more heavily on deep techno sounds and kickdrum-driven grooves than weighty dub basslines, drone textures and so on. Admittedly there are some echoing riffs drawn from the dub playbook - something that subtly comes to the fore midway through the album - but for the most part it's loopy, ultra-deep, percussively sturdy and, most importantly of all, deliciously alluring.