V/A – Synergy Vol. 3

Black Artist Database marks five years championing Black electronic music with ‘Synergy Vol. 3’, a compilation that continues to push the possibilities of contemporary club sounds. Isaac Carter’s ‘She Likes to Move’ opens the record with a dubby 2-step cut built around a looping bassline, while Parris strips things back on ‘Steam Room’, relying on a haunting topline and taut rhythm section to carry the track. Other highlights include Tsepo’s stomping ‘BAD Demo’ and NIK’s bolshy ‘Subtle Delights’ — which wouldn’t sound out of place on Moxie’s On Loop label. The comp moves fluidly between swinging four-four, lean techno and jungle-esque hybrids, as well as rhythms that defy easy categorisation, but if there’s anything that unites the release, it’s the overall mood — atmospheric, rhythm-forward, and often introspective as opposed to peak-time.