Oliver Ho has been producing worthy techno for a while now - ever since his initial erudite releases on Blueprint in fact. Just a year on from his 'Listening To The Voice Inside' LP, Ho has found himself with another albums worth of material on his hands.
As with most of his Meta releases (Meta is his own imprint), 'Universal' is stuffed full of colourful and exotic takes on the techno sound. This is where he takes more risks and indulges his whims a little more, and the results for this 3rd long player are once again impeccable.
There's an overriding feeling of tribalism that runs throughout this LP, presaged by the totemic artwork on the cover. These drum-happy vibes add immeasurably to his chunky, no nonsense production (often infused with a beefy house feel) and his freewheelin' elements of jazz, latin and funk.
The majority of what's on offer here reveals Ho to be a producer who likes to make an impact. Tracks don't creep on you, or seduce you slowly. Neither do they batter you over the head with linear logic.
Rather, they jump right out of the speakers and dance alongside you, driven by flamboyant trumpets, dense organ sounds and oodles of indefatigable bluster and pomp.
There's a spread of sounds too, from the dizzying and dazzling beatless organ of 'Relic' through to the syncopated grooves of 'Worship' and everything else in between. But it's Ho's constant array of shiny sounds and noises and his clean production that make 'Universal' such a great listen.
