UMEK – Ravaged EP [1605]

Slovenian DJ and producer UMEK has released Ravaged, his third EP of 2019, on his own 1605 label.

Opening proceedings, the acid-soaked title track sets the tone with its domineering kick drum and squelching 303s. An even heavier affair, ‘Cacophonous’ delivers a pummelling, full-frontal assault on the senses, before the EP is closed out by more acid – this time interspersed with melodic elements – on ‘Anomalies In Heart Rate’. It follows on from May’s Vibrancy, a three-track EP that combined a tougher techno sound with more emotive, melodic elements, and the dancefloor-focused 19119, released in April.

Launched in 2007, the release of 19119 followed a two-year hiatus for UMEK’s 1605 imprint, which previously oversaw the release of over 200 records by more than 250 artists. Supporting both established and emerging artists, 2019 marks the label’s welcome comeback, with further releases in the pipeline for the remainder of the year.

Releasing a slew of EPs and albums over a career spanning upwards of 30 years, UMEK’s sound ranges from dark, hard-hitting techno to melodic, big room house. Real name Uroš UMEK, he is just as adept DJing in the dark, intimate dancefloors of Contact Tokyo, Exchange LA and Barcelona’s Razzmatazz as he is performing to thousands of revellers at world-renowned festivals such as Ultra, Electric Daisy Carnival and Tomorrowland.