Len Faki

Sound Associates are late 90s UK producers Ben Tisdall and Daz Saund. With a long string of releases on labels like Music Man, Tortured, Missile and more, the pair defined a funky, frenetic tribal Techno sound. 

Their raw and challenging sonics, with compressed low ends and crisp highs no doubt contributed to the benchmarks for Techno today. Perhaps some of the unsung heroes of the pioneering UK scene, Sound Associates have left a permanent stamp on the shape of club music without compromise.

Following on from his Edits of DJ Hyperactive, JPLS and Mikael Jonasson, Len Faki now takes on original Sound Associates material in two burning new interpretations. 

Both 'Jacknife' and 'Boombox' blend the jacking, floor-burning funk of the original S.A cuts, with Faki's unmistakable attention to detail, and deadly-high production values. Finely tuned, yet raw and unrelenting, they are a perfect addition to Figure's current run of releases, setting new and higher standards for underground Techno in 2014.

Boombox SNIPPET

Faki and Heil team up again for the third installment in their collaboration series. Well known for their high production values and unique ability to capture the kind of intense energy needed on the dancefloor, Vol. III sees the two masters on top form again.

A devilish combination of weighty break-beats, clattering old-school snares and static electricity, ‘Perception’ takes a spoken word sound-byte and twists it into a monstrous beast, filtering and snaking over 7 minutes. Perhaps their most intense club moment crafted together so far, Faki and Heil bring all their years of experience and love for their art to the table. A useful acapella version is included here too, for DJs who know!

A welcome return to some of the pair’s classic studio hardware, ‘Happy 808’ shows off masterful drum programming, coupled with a super-spacey mixdown, that elevates the 808 to new extremes. Using beautifully crafted distortion and reverb spaces, and coupled with a constantly moving arrangement, its hard to put this one down.

Perception SNIPPET

Happy 808 SNIPPET

As Figure begins to move into the next chapter of its label history, label founder Len Faki has teamed up with young French talent Roman Poncet for the 54th release. Poncet's debut on the label dropped last year with the excellent 'Cerate' cutting a clear path for his precisely executed modern techno sound. 

Teaming up in the studio, Faki and Poncet have crafted 'Asua' - a mesmerising display of production skill and a testament to the duo's true understanding of hypnosis. Pushing from the start with its urgent bassline the track builds and morphs its intertwining elements, introducing subtle textures and suggestions of melody - a classic Figure late night ritual. 

Alongside, we have original tracks from both Len Faki and Roman themselves. Faki's thunderous and aptly titled 'Stripped' works his powerhouse percussion along with a textured dub-stab in this straight up club trip. 

Finally with 'Truck' Roman Poncet completes the EP, his rough synth stabs and metallic percussion driving this moody tension builder ever forward.

Len Faki

Francesco Cucio Cucini