Techno artists James Ruskin and Mark Broom combine for this brand new project, The Fear Ratio. The two have worked before on a series of 12” club tracks, but Light Box pushes them towards a much more experimental-based sound.

The Intro defines the duo’s newfound approach, with ambient lead synths reaching towards the light, decorated by the shrill noise of scraping machinery. This proto-industrial style carries throughout the record, with chugging, motoric noises brushed by gritty melodies and cavernous atmospheric effects.

Occasionally, Ruskin and Broom break out to provide more obvious techno manifestations (Ax, Mas, and the washing, Aphex Twin-influenced Guv Three), others lie somewhere in between; Morning Blues touches on analogue-induced zombie soundtrack – and effectively so.

Remixes from Deadhand and Plaid cap Light Box stylishly.

A more thoughtful and intelligent album of dark, menacing instrumentals you’ll struggle to find, and whilst not every track carries an air of memorability about it, there’s much more to this album than can possibly be expressed after merely a handful of listens.

Should certainly appeal strongly to fans of B12/Posthuman that lean more towards ambient than generic ambient techno.