Phil Kieran has been at the top of the game for almost a decade now, putting out a string of killer 12”s and remixes on labels such as Bugged Out, Soma and Novamute, so it seems only natural that he should switch his attention to the long playing format. And so he has, with this, his debut album for techno grandad Sven Vath’s Cocoon label.

The record initially makes little concession to the headphone listener, instead choosing to dive straight into chunky, rolling tech house / techno, liberally coated with weird noises and metallic fx that seem custom built for those who like their nights fuelled by liberal amounts of horse tranquiliser (see ‘Playing With Shadows’ & ‘Blood Of Barcelona’, or indeed most of the first half of the record, to be perfectly honest). At times it can be a bit much, especially when you’re listening on headphones on the bus home from work or whatever, but Kieran’s inventive production just about manages to keep it the right side of oppressive.

Following a short interlude of blissful, chiming synths (‘Raining For Old Friends’) the record moves into what could be described as more accessible realms. The pulsing motorik groove and breathless vocals of ‘Don’t Look Far Away’ are a nice counterpoint to the headspinning intensity of the album’s first six tracks, and that which follows it - ‘Bend It Bend It My Dear’ - is a pleasingly deranged halfstep crossbreed of metallic bass and what sounds like some sort of Japanese plucked string instrument. ‘Past The Present Future’ seems like an attempt at the Berghain techno sound that people like Marcel Dettmann and the Hardwax crew are pushing, but that’s not to say it doesn’t work – it is very, very heavy indeed, with dubbed out drum rolls and thudding techno energy that you just know will sound enormous coming out of big speakers.

‘Shh’ does sometimes feel like a compilation rather than an album; the dancefloor tracks have an undeniable crunch to them, and the more melodic tracks float along in a pleasant enough manner, but there was something slightly disconnected about it that I can’t quite put my finger on. It probably lacks a couple of standout tracks, but there are enough ideas and neat production tricks on show here to keep the listener engaged. All in all, if you don’t mind some pretty uneasy listening then you should definitely consider giving this some attention.

‘Shh’ is released via Cocoon Recordings on 21^st September 2009.

J.