We have a real treat for the Beat Devotees and Frequency Chasers out there! Our pals over at Pulse State have asked us to listen to and review one BEAST of an album. This is a Do-Not-Miss-Alert: Calx has served up an absolutely wicked album titled Time Vortex. It grabs you by the collar, shakes hard, and says “listen closer”. This is experimental hybrid techno that hits hard and stays smooth under pressure, rooted in the physical pull of the dance floor but constantly twitching with something stranger and more expansive. Pulse State knew what they were doing putting this out. The album sits clean & effortlessly in our ears and it is confident without slipping into tired techno tropes. It moves with purpose as it moves your body, which is still the point of this kind of music — no matter how cerebral it gets.
From the opening pulse of Galaxy Dub, the intent is clear. Acid bass lines smear into dub echoes while a heavy kick locks everything in place. It balances wide, space-soaked sound design with a heavy physical pull that never lets the groove leave the floor. Pyroseptic tightens the screws even further, stacking tension piece by piece, teasing you with the promise of chaos and then denying the obvious release of it. Instead of exploding, it coils inward and snaps shut, ending abruptly and leaving your nervous system buzzing. That restraint is a theme across the album and it works. Calx know when not to push the red button.
Quart of Quartz is where things start to wobble beautifully. The breakbeat staggers, the bass snarls and the percussion threatens to fall apart while somehow staying perfectly controlled. There is real risk in this track and that risk pays off. Receiver pulls things back into a more traditional dance structure but fills it with unease. Stabs echo, strange avian synth noises flutter through the mix, and a spoken voice warns about becoming a receiver. It lands as dark without being theatrical, unsettling without trying too hard. Turbo Days flips the mood again with bright energy and classic techno drive, electro flickers, and acid hints that keep it playful instead of nostalgic.
The back half of the album digs deeper. Thermophosis drifts into dub techno territory, soaked in echo and repetition, minimal but hypnotic, acid lines ghosting in and out of focus. The title track Time Vortex does exactly what it promises, pulling you into a circular rhythm that feels endless and slightly disorienting, all reverb and metallic texture. By the time Zilstrea arrives, Calx let the pressure bleed off. Pads glow, percussion enters gently, and the track settles into a calm IDM-tinged space that feels well-earned.
Knowing that this album was built by two people trading half-finished tracks across borders only makes it more impressive. This kind of remote collaboration often collapses into inconsistency or compromise. That never happens here. Time Vortex sounds unified, focused, and carefully finished without losing its edge. There are no weak tracks, no filler, no moments that feel rushed or careless. It is a strong release that delightfully tweaks the listener and smashes the dance floor equally. An absolute triumph for both Calx and Pulse State, and a reminder that disciplined, deep, experimental techno can still feel wild when it is cultivated by the right hands.
Time Vortex by Calx releases 13 Feb 2026 exclusively on Pulse State
