Enzo Caselnova – Let Down (HTX123)

Let Down closes out a banger of a year for Portland’s Enzo Caselnova, ending 2023 on a high note with 10 tracks of juddering, shuddering acid techno. Stripped-down, amped-up, Let Down is pure dancefloor fodder, stripping out the lushness Caselnova’s capable of for a relentless barrage of sturdy, steely 4/4 kicks and mind-scouring acid arps, with Caselnova’s deep, rich sound design burned around the edges.

Let Down rounds out a particularly productive 2023, following hot on the heels of the Sunrise Fantasies EP and This Could Be Us, which Micro Genre Music called fresh but familiar – like a warm meal on an October evening.,” both released in August, Fans of Caselnova’s will find Let Down fresh and familiar, with its stripped-down machine beats and ripped apart acid riddims, yet it’s its own beast. Let Down is tearing at the seams, hitting harder and faster than Caselnova’s other 2023 releases. It’s not all industrial beats and acid synths, though, with the meditative anti-gravity ambient of “Exit Wound” and “Oracle” to cast a spell and summon the circle.

Conjured with Caelnova’s signature setup of Elektron Octatrack, Korg Minilogue
XOX Bassline, and Ableton Live, Let Down blends instinct and intellect, heart and head.