Unparalleled

Some records shine without much apparent effort. Parallel 9’s Dominus has that quality: its presence gradually grows, until what initially seemed unassuming becomes the thing holding your attention.

Released in 2005 on Music Man, this three-track 12″ belongs to the dub-oriented side of Steve Rachmad’s extensive catalogue. Parallel 9 gave that sensibility its own identity, and the title track makes a particularly persuasive case for it. There is a balance of absorption and lift here, a groove that draws you inward while retaining an easy physical appeal.

When I played it in the late 00s, “Dominus” was a track that triggered questions from guests and partygoers, in the years after even from fellow DJs. It usually took a few minutes but you could almost start a countdown judging from the curious faces it produced.

It’s not that the single elements of what the title track delivers had been entirely new, especially its formidable Dub Techno core. This must have not been good enough for Rachmad though. With a few tiny alterations, the whole thing moves closer to both House and Techno. Let’s move this forward he thought and gave it some more speed and – more importantly – some good old handclaps. They give the rhythm a little extra lift and help make “Dominus” so wonderfully inviting. The track keeps growing on you; its details become familiar without exhausting their appeal.

Turn the record over and the emphasis shifts. “Ventris” and “Vestras” stretch continuous layers of synthesiser across a more spacious setting. Their bass drums feel warmer and less punchy, particularly on “Vestras”, allowing the sustained sounds and melodic figures to carry more of the emotional weight. There are moments that suggest early Biosphere, while some of the synth hooks bring 808 State to mind. These are associations rather than a neat map of influences, but they point towards a 90s sensibility that runs through these two tracks without making it feel confined to that decade.

Someone commented about “Dominus” that it benefits from being pitched down quite a bit. The idea feels even more relevant to the tracks on the B-side. This is warm, almost dreamy music moving at a brisk techno tempo – in a DJ set, the records that feel closest to it emotionally may be running considerably slower. Tempo compatibility and emotional compatibility don’t always coincide.

Repressed in 2015 and reissued again in a remastered edition in 2026, Dominus has continued to find its way back into circulation. Its appeal is easy to understand. Across three tracks, Rachmad brings together dub depth, house warmth and expansive electronic melody with an ease that leaves room for repeated listening. The sounds carry traces of their time, while the pleasure of spending time with them remains immediate.

Release for review:
Parallel 9 – DOMINUS – MUSIC MAN RECORDS – MM117

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