Exos

by Jason BirchmeierAfter a number of EP releases and contributing to the mostly unknown yet esteemed Thule collective, Exos joined the ranks of the legendary techno label Force Inc, where he took the next step and released acclaimed full-length albums. Beginning with his Force Inc debut, Eleventh, the Icelandic producer born as Arnvidur Snorrason remarkably managed to compose hard, up-tempo minimal techno that was dancefloor-ready as well as listener-friendly. This sometimes paradoxical match wowed many, as Snorrason took pounding rhythms and integrated innumerable variations in texture and nuance. The majority of his tracks are driven by either banging 909 drum kicks or fat dub beats at their foundation, but other than this, the tracks employ a number of uncanny aesthetics, most of which never became a staple of his productions. While his debut engaged many with its rarely duplicated sense of variety, his follow-up, 2001s Strength, went a step further, stretching out to include more variations on the generic hard minimal techno sound, while never getting too experimental as to alienate the dancefloor crowd. This seemingly paradoxical ability to make hard, up-tempo, dancefloor-ready minimal techno that doubled as innovative steps forward into unfamiliar compositional territory made him one of technos most promising producers, even if his Icelandic roots made him an unlikely candidate.