Techno Reviews: August 2020
Here we are back with another big selection of techno tumpers… ;-)
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ALBUM OF THE MONTH
Julian Muller
Playing With The Devil
[Lobster Theremin]
You’ll be deeply touched by Ellen’s AurAA
Frenchman Julian Muller drops his debut LP with Lobster Theremin, ‘Playing With The Devil’, a 10-track exploration of techno’s various shades. Julian has been producing for the last few years, launching his own label Initial Berlin in 2015. He’s had a good run of releases and this album is a culmination of his years in the studio and deep love of collecting vinyl. On the decks Julian works his way through a variety of techno flavours, and this diverse approach is reflected on the album. We get dreamy downtempo cuts like ‘Final Devolution’, high-octane brutalism like ‘His Spirit All Around’ and more melancholy, emotional tracks such as ‘Leaving Earth’. Each track is polished, full of depth and displays a maturity that belies his relatively short production career. A really impressive debut album.
BEST TRACKS: ‘Leaving Earth’, ‘Final Devolution’, ‘His Spirit All Around’
9 out of 10
TUNE OF THE MONTH
Floorplan
Save The Children (Detroit Mix)
[M-Plant]
SAVE THE CHILDREN
Last month it was Lyric Hood, this time around it’s the awesome combination of father and daughter as Floorplan. I don’t usually feature the same labels/artists each month, but this was too good to leave out. A stirring instrumental supports a highly emotive and pertinent set of spoken word samples. The message alone puts it head and shoulders above everything else I’ve reviewed this month, and it’s banging as well.
10 out of 10
Detroit’s Filthiest
Groove Junkie
[Philthtrax]
Pure groovy techno
Detroit’s Filthiest always keeps it pure and direct from the source. No watered down nonsense, just straight up energy, funk and groove. ‘Groove Junkie’ merges techno aesthetics with an almost UKG sounding bassline. This one will have you boppin’ with a deep set grimace of approval on your face.
8 out of 10
Doctor Jeep
F1
[SP:EC]
Another blinder from SP:EC
A thumping slice of avant garde club music here with Doctor Jeep incorporating dancehall-esque drum programming along with a winding low end, and all manner of subtle carnivalesque effects dancing around in the background. I can imagine this one popping off at a festival.
7 out of 10
Elbee Bad
Obsessed Mit Tech
[Super Sound Tool]
Minimal rudeboy business
Really feeling Super Sound Tool, every release so far has had at least one killer cut. This dark pumper from Elbee Bad is plain rude. The build is steady and composed, with Elbee keeping it relatively minimal; chunky bass, barely there beats and a strange, warped froggy effect. Works a treat.
8 out of 10
Kempes
Forever
[Passarella]
Simple and hypnotic
Loving the Arabic style riff on this cut. I try to keep my reviews balanced in terms of style as much as I can and this one certainly ticks the ‘eccentric’ box. There’s hardly bass and it’s pretty repetitive, but there’s something about it that keeps you transfixed throughout. Something about its simplicity that really appeals to me.
7 out of 10
Keplrr
Esoteric Functions
[Control Freak Records]
Esoteric and functional..
The title of the cut feels perfectly matched to the tune itself. It’s difficult to explain, and only really makes sense when you hear it. Keplrr immerses us in a deep pool of undulating bass, rubbery drums and tantalising atmospherics. Digitised voices add to the bewildering feeling this track provokes.
8 out of 10
Kmyle
Black Matter
[Materia Music]
More freshness from Kmyle
Kmyle has come through really strong over the past year. He’s focused on hard-hitting techno laced with emotion, like this cut from his latest EP on Materia. The low end throbs incessantly as a sprinkling of dainty synth lines keep things lively up high. An emotionally-charged breakdown takes us into darker territory, as the second half is obscured by a cloak of mist.
8 out of 10
Radioactive Man & Ben Pest
Bar Tab
[Asking For Trouble]
Put it on the tab, mate!
This EP is wicked, and the cover art is great, too. Feeling every track, especially ‘Old Tight’. The whole thing is Radioactive Man and Ben Pest having a laugh in the studio. ‘Bar Tab’ has a fidgeting squelchy motif that can’t behave itself, alongside warm, enveloping bass and typically reverbed, electro-style beats.
8 out of 10
Rebekah
Are You Worthy?
[Elements]
Best get a safety helmet for this one
Brummie techno whizz Rebekah gets cracking with some more pounding productions to turn your brain to mush. ‘Are You Worthy?’ is pretty relentless and uncompromising, the beats are like a sledgehammer to concrete while swirling pads offer a very slight counter to the madness.
7 out of 10
Regina Leather
Tip
[Voam]
Yes Regina!
I love the drum programming on this one. The kick is just the right frequency and velocity, not too hard but not too soft… Elsewhere the production is also on point, with Leather creating some inspired twist and turns, lots of unusual sounds and a deep grumbling bassline. My kinda vibe.
8 out of 10
Scarper
E-Funk
[Plexus Records]
Nice little melting pot of influences…
Feeling the two-steppy percussion on this one and that square wave bass… Proper. Along with the illuminating strings it all works together to produce this weird techno/house/garage hybrid. If clubs were open I’d expect to hear a wide range of selectors play this. The progression is thoughtful, too, Scarper did a real good job on this.
8 out of 10
Smyth
Cosmic Girls
[We Are The Brave]
She’s just a cosmic giirrrllll
The pinched kick drum at the start of this cut is brilliant, filtered out and deceptively impotent before Smyth drops it in, like “BANG”. He uses a sultry female vocal along with juddering bass and that infamous ‘check this out!’ sample that’s been used countless times since the birth of rave.
7 out of 10
Steve Allman
Possessed
[EON]
Proper stuff this
EON is focused on electro/techno and putting out a lot of really great stuff. This Steve Allman EP has three original cuts plus a remix from Sync24. All the tunes are top notch but I have a soft spot for ‘Possessed’. The way it rolls out, the grizzly low end and harmonised melody, is just too fresh.
8 out of 10
Karim Atari & Minos
Big Data
[Abu Recordings]
Free Palestine <3
Straight out of Palestine, this is from the excellent Dweller project by Karim Atari. A dystopian public service announcement sets the tone, feeling very fitting for the times we’re living in. Dense low end frequencies envelop the sample, with sprightly drums and a hypnotic motif.
7 out of 10
Gouryella
Gouryella (Alan Fitzpatrick Tribute To ‘99 Remix)
[Armada]
Alan births trance and techno’s love child
Armada bring in man like Alan Fitzpatrick to remix Ferry Corsten’s trance masterpiece. Over the last few years trance has been a big feature of a lot of techno DJ’s sets, so it’s not a surprise to see this rework pop up. Fitzpatrick handles a difficult job with aplomb, splicing that euphoric melody with pumped up beats with great success.
8 out of 10
Mandana
La Pridgina
[Moscow Records]
Excellent techy cut
Crisp, thick, luscious tech house from Mandana. Hailing from Belgian capital Brussels Mandana has been steadily building her reputation over the last couple of years and this new release on Archie Hamilton’s Moscow Records is another big co-sign for her. The tune itself is classy, with a range of sci-fi-esque cosmic frequencies along with a funky bassline and a dense b-line.
9 out of 10
Stratton
Dubplate Only
[Eternal Damnation]
Give me a dubplate and make me mash dem down...
Taken from a firing various artists compilation, this cut uses a wicked sample (“Dubplate, dubplate only”) repeated over and over with a whimsical melody and thumping beats. It does that strange thing of evoking visions of old school raves while also sounding bang up to date as well. A juxtaposition that works really.
8 out of 10
Selective Response
Moment Of Desperation
[Crisis Of Man]
POWER!
This one is rapid, so prepare to have your heart rate shoot through the roof as soon as it kicks off. No messing around from Selective Response as the bass judders out of control, and he gets playful with the arrangement, bringing in subtle shifts and transitions to keep things engaging. Wait for the short breakdown and the mental second half.
8 out of 10
Liam Mour
Douro (Mathew Jonson Remix)
[Ode To Youth]
Another Jonson winner
Hang drums are always good value. Mathew Jonson’s rework leans on them for a solid foundation, weaving an emotive melody and bass in and out of the drums to cultivate a stirring atmosphere. Jonson is well versed in storytelling, thoughtful arrangement and emotionally-driven composition, so it will be no surprise to anyone familiar with his work that features all of those characteristics.
8 out of 10
Maral Salmassi
177X
[Konsequent Records]
Magnificent and marvellous
Maral Salmassi has been involved with techno for a long time. She took a 10-year break a little while ago but her return in 2016 was a welcome one, resurrecting her label and getting back to it with some fresh new beats. ‘177X’ is solemn and industrial with a very steady build up. Her controlled approach is magnificent and, when she lets this one off the chain, it really hits hard. Expert production from an experienced hand.
8 out of 10
Vladimir Dubyshkin
amphetamine freak
[трип]
Eccentric brilliance
Vladimir Dubyshkin turns in a suitably eccentric EP for Nina Kraviz’s Trip label. ‘amphetamine freak’ lives up to its title with a super-charged 4x4 break, jittery bass and a vocal sample that sounds like it could be from the nineties. The whistling sounds he incorporates around the middle of the track add to the oddly gratifying atmosphere.
9 out of 10
Monitor: Argentinian producer Joaquin Ruiz drops his debut album Voices Of Space on PLOINK this month. Make sure you check it out - Ruiz takes us on a voyage to the realms of outer space and beyond.
Joseph Capriati has his second album out soon. The new LP, Metamorfosi, sees the techno selector exploring a range of different styles with guests like Louie Vega and Byron Stingily featuring...
Coyu has unveiled his latest new alias as ‘Hassler’ - making his debut under the new name on Patrick Topping’s Trick label very soon.
Setaoc Mass will release a double sided vinyl EP ’Neo-Noir’ on his SK_Eleven imprint with a ton of brand new cuts, can’t wait for that one.