Heady techno from a veteran of the style.

Over the past seven years or so, Alessio Meneghello has used the name Alan Backdrop to develop an impressive catalog of deep, evocative techno and ambient. As low-key as he might be—at times he’s slipped right off the radar—there are still things that stand out. He’s versatile, covering a wide range of tempos and rhythms, and his penchant for lush, dewy vibes means his work doesn’t devolve into the cold-and-dark techno clichés of some of his more prominent contemporaries. On top of that, his DJ-friendly fare has an easy expansiveness that makes it a joy to mix with.

Hydra, Meneghello’s solo debut on Svreca’s always on-point Semantica label, is arguably his biggest release to date. He rises to the occasion, offering uptempo tunes for headier dance floors. “Caph” levitates with a glimmering mélange of synth notes, while the subtly electro-tinged “St130” swoops in, wraithlike, with a couple echoing acid riffs—one big, bassy and maw-like, the other lean, trebly and sinuous. “Vvat” seems to repurpose that bassline for a more straightforward cut that emphasizes the nervous tension of a three-note synth figure. But the best, and most distinctive, is “Esp.” A syncopated halftime cut with stunning pads, it perfectly encapsulates the Alan Backdrop sound- text by RA