A Sheffield-based electronic music label whose debut release offers sparse, ambitious post-techno featuring an enigmatic design by ex-tDR-er Human. Remind you of anyone?

The callbacks to the city's best-known label will get Central Processing Unit's foot in the door, but just like Warp Records the label is in danger of overshadowing the work. Which is a shame because in Dallasite Cygnus they've got some pleasingly looming potential.

Phillip Washington's second long player twists his crisp, careful electro (tem)plates in some interesting directions - with tracks like Hungry DJs recalling a Shangaan LFO. But it's Private Feelings - a riveting, horrifying, conspiracy of sin(e) waves and keyboard shapes – that best distills the promise on record here.

Fetishising the feeling something is terribly, terribly wrong, Newmark Phase is at its most exciting when it recalls Warp co-founder (and steel city legend) Rob Gordon. While the elder guard awaits the call back to the frontline, this is an able substitute, forged by a future master.

Central Processing Unit's debut release, Newmark Phase by Cygnus is released on 24^th September 2012. Visit the label's website for more.

Review by Rob Barker

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