Fresh off the back of a debut Boiler Room performance at the world renowned AVA Festival, releases on Extended Play, Nocturne & Rudimentary Records and captivating live set performances at Celtronic, Derry’s very own Cartin delivers a two track EP spanning lairy UK electro-breaks and glitch-driven techno that shines a deserved spotlight on exactly why the emerald isle is so excited about him.

Undoubtedly one of the most electrifying talents to emerge from the North of Ireland in recent years, Cartin’s animated performances and captivating electronic productions have cemented his status as ‘next up’ in Ireland, following a trailblazing path from recent breakthrough artists Kessler and Sputnik One. Incorporating live guitar elements into almost everything he does, it’s these elements that ensure that Cartin stands out in a sea of the same.

“For this EP I really wanted to give the tracks more of a raw grittier sound which has been influenced by all the music I've been listening to the past year, whilst incorporating guitar elements normally found in my live sets”, he says. “My studio setup is more tailored towards a quick workflow with my Push 2 allowing me to get ideas down quickly. Apart from doing a lot of sampling for a lot of tracks at the minute I also rely on my two studio best friends - my Moog Sub 37 and Behringer DeepMind 12.”

“With my live setup I tend to come up with clubbier versions of my tracks rather than playing carbon copies of the originals. In my current live setup I try to keep things as simple as possible, with the Push 2 triggering the drums samples, DeepMind 12 for the melodies, Akai mixer for mapping effects and an electric and bass guitar for that extra sauce.”

‘Endz’ begins with scattered breaks that sound like they could have been sampled from the ‘pots and pans’ street performers that call the NYC subway home. An in-your-face bassline rings out from Cartin’s guitar as grimey vocal samples and gun-finger energy blend in a mutation of electro, breakbeat, grime and punk - a wonderful example of Cartin’s ability to seamlessly blend genre, yet remain so distinctive.

‘U Got My Number’ is a bass-driven cut of percussive techno designed for peak-time play. Taking the seriousness out of techno one kick drum at a time, this is groove-driven 4x4 that has its sights set on the fun side of the spectrum. Trumpets ring-out at the breakdowns - a turn that signals something different is to come - before the entrancing groove returns and guides you front left.