Hierophant, 2006
Rod Modell has been releasing deep music since the late nineties. Under his own name, he experiments with quiet ambience. Radio waves and echoes float through time. His Deepchord alias (sometimes solo, sometimes with Mike Schommer) is Basic Channel-inspired with beats, chords, and reverb. Unfortunately, these recordings are difficult to find. The latest is a white-vinyl 10-inch limited to a mere five hundred copies.
Both untitled sides clock in at around seven minutes. Side A gradually evolves over thick, dipping bass. Think slowed-down Rhythm & Sound, with aggressive stereo panning, muted congos, and the occasional subtle analogue squeak. Side B is even slower. The chords span more notes, taking on an aquatic quality as they float between channels.
While the sounds are familiar, they’re done extremely well. If Chain Reaction was still active, Deepchord would be a shoo-in. This is the tastiest Berlin-style dub around, and it’s from Detroit.