Hunter/Game

Adaptation

BY Anthony AugustinePublished Feb 3, 2016

7
After well-received releases on Innervisions, Last Night on Earth and their own label, Just This, Italian duo Hunter/Game further distil their expansive approach to techno on their first-full length for influential Cologne label Kompakt. After a couple of singles on Kompakt's Speicher series, Emmanuele Nicosia and Martino Bertola waste no time demonstrating their melodic sensibilities on Adaptation's "Declino," continuing to usher in their own take on the label's distinct worldview of modern techno.
 
With warm, attention-grabbing tracks that wouldn't seem out of place in a set from Dixon, Tales of Us or label boss Michael Mayer, Hunter/Game's melancholy streak runs like a lifeline through many of the cuts on Nicosia and Bertola's debut. The duo change things up on the tribal percussion-fuelled "Silver," opting to let the drums and vocals do the heavy lifting, contrasting the other tracks on the album while at the same time giving space for listeners to breathe. Balanced against more robust synth-driven offerings like "The Path," Adaption entwines nuanced melodies, moods and textures while retaining the character of the duo's early work.
 
Adaptation may be the duo's debut, but it's a cohesive and immediately identifiable approach to the dance floor.
(Kompakt)

Latest Coverage