Techno
July: 21 techno releases you need to hear this month
Featuring the likes of Steffi, wAFF, Cassy and Maceo Plex
Album of the month
Steffi 'Fabric 94' (fabric)
Steffi helms ‘Fabric 94’, and she’s gone to great lengths to make it a very special mix indeed –
not only by making sure it’s technically impressive, but also by commissioning a gang of talented producers to make tracks especially for it. In doing so, she’s gathered up some killer tracks from a line-up that would befit some of the world’s best underground festivals. From the sublime ‘Echo 1’ by L.u.c.a. to Privacy’s electro-tinged ‘Broke’, Steffi provides a delectable mix that’s a testament to her curating skills. Listen out for Dexter & Virginia’s jaunty ‘Off The Beat’, Doms & Deykers’ mesmerising ‘No Life On The Surface’, Late Night Approach with the brilliant ‘Poison Valley’ and Answer Code Request’s ‘Forking Path’ – four standouts on a top-notch mix.
9/10
Tune of the month
Floorplan 'Let The Church' (M-Plant)
Floorplan isn’t messing about with ‘Let The Church’. There’s no drawn-out intro, as the producer just launches straight into the breakbeat percussion and undulating bassline before getting busy with breaks, claps and mania-inducing energy. Wait until you hear the vocal clip, too – a sample of a gospel singer that will make you raise your hands up to the heavens. It’s unrelenting, but you won’t want it to stop anyway.
9/10
Elliot Adamson 'Je Suis' (Man Power)
Elliot Adamson is fast becoming a hot property, and judging by this latest release, it’s not hard to see why: ‘Je Suis’ is imbued with a level of detail that’s rare these days, from its slightly dusty vinyl feel to the hypnotic frequency of the bassline. Adamson has clearly taken a good amount of time to put this one together, keeping it measured and unleashing a controlled energy as and when it sees fit. Strong.
8/10
Maceo Plex feat Swayzak '5th Dimensional Groove' (Ellum)
Maceo Plex drops his new album this month, and he’s also teamed up with Swayzak for this monster collaboration. Somehow, the producer always manages to create beastly techno tracks, and ‘5th Dimensional Groove’ is a perfect example of how he delivers time and time again .The riff keeps you locked in, the beats work a treat and the various analogue effects add depth.
8/10
Bryan Chapman 'Vedanta' (Monotony)
A track named after one of the six schools of Hindu philosophy is never going to be a lightweight production. Bryan Chapman’s morose workout is deeply hypnotic, minimal and almost macabre in its darkside vibes. The creepy, slithery effects he brings in midway through turn the track’s already unnerving atmosphere so frightening that your blood will run cold. Very little variation from start to finish makes this a simple but effective killer.
8/10
Keita Sano 'Slow Flight' (What Ever Not)
As soon as that decayed kick comes in on ‘Slow Fight’, you know you’re in for something sublime. Keita Sano’s studio seems to unleash a deluge of new music every month, and this funky little cut is definitely one of his standout moments of late. Once the track really kicks off, it’s game over. The bassline alone would be enough to make the whole track a winner, but the extra layers of emotion, depth and sheer uplifting vibes make it even more lovely.
8/10
Rebolledo 'Pow Pow (Fango remix)' (Hippe Dance)
The ever-mysterious Fango comes forth with this remix of Rebodello’s ‘Pow Pow’ for Permanent Vacation. This is a monster track with all the hallmarks of a Fango workout: crazy drum programming, heavyweight beats and a gnarly, vicious atmosphere that’s sure to demolish dancefloors all over the world. Whoever he is, he certainly knows how to engage smash mode. Stupendous tune.
9/10
Boo Williams 'Animation' (Dame-Music)
Dame-Music celebrates its fifth birthday with a neat little release which features this bad-boy track from the man himself, Boo Williams. Only a producer of his experience could put something like this together: the initial vibe is pretty old school, but then the swirling, bleepy melody comes in and everything gets a bit cosmic and lovely.
7/10
Scamandro 'Pacific' (Esteban Adame Jack mix) (Fluctus Soul)
Danilo Scamandro’s rather sombre ‘Pacific’ gets a jacked-up-rework courtesy of Esteban Adame. The original was almost downtempo in its composition, but Adame decides to go in hard on this fun, heavy-handed remix. There are very few similarities between this new version and Scamandro’s original, but who cares when the result is so rambunctious?
8/10
Jor-El 'Solitude' (Echochord)
Swedish supremo Joel Alter gives us three quality cuts on the Echochord label. ‘Solitude’ is a serene production with a symphony of winding, flowing pads and melodies; it’s got a classic techno feel to it, fusing retro elements with a contemporary aesthetic. Just wait for those beautiful strings to come in and send your heart all a flutter.
8/10
Holldën 'Boardwalk Ruins' (Kuiper Noise)
Get your goggles and your swimming hat, because you’re about to be submerged with this one. ‘Boardwalk Ruins’ is a deep cut with an aquatic fee. It must be something to do with the bubbly bassline; everything about it feels watery. It’s got an entrancing rhythm, too, which guides you into a dreamy soundscape that’s both contemplative and ethereal – it feels as if you’ve gone diving and discovered an underwater paradise.
7/10
LPZ 'Snooze' (Rush Plus)
Straight to the point with this rugged cut on the Rush Plus label. LPZ delivers a rumbling, raucous slice of techno designed to get you hyped up. Yes, this one doesn’t pretend to be anything but a potent piece of music, and all the elements work exactly as they should for a tune of this type. It’s by no means formulaic, though, as LPZ gives it a character all of its own.
7/10
wAFF 'Hanzz Up' (Desolat)
One of the industry’s most zany and entertaining characters, wAFF is a young master of dancefloor-ready techno and tech-house, as proven by this cheeky cut on Loco Dice’s Desolat label. ‘Hanzz Up’ bounces all over the shop like a rubber ball, and if you’re not bopping your head within the first few bars then you have no soul. Its 4/4 beat combined with a hefty bassline makes ‘Hanzz Up’ a winner on all counts.
8/10
Pierre Codarin 'LFO Fidget' (Pierre Cordarin)
The groove, the whole groove and nothing but the groove is what we’re confronted with here. Across four tracks, Pierre Codarin somehow manages to extract unbelievably catchy rhythms and deep grooves from his equipment. ‘LFO Fidget’ is a wistful and slightly cosmic roller with plenty of intergalactic FX and a heavyweight bassline that’ll ensnare you with its low end frequencies. Tip-top!
8/10
Camea 'Vanish' (Tobias. remix) (Neverwhere)
Camea’s Neverwhere label continues to explore the dark side of techno with this new EP, as Ostgut Ton’s poster boy Tobias. comes through with an infectious tribal-esque rhythm on his killer remix of Camea’s ‘Vanish’. The atmospherics will lure you in, working with warped clips to build tension before the latter makesway for beautiful female vocals. The progression on this one is stunning, and we love it.
8/10
Alexander Robotnick & Lore J 'Hot In November' (Hot Elephant Music)
Alexander Robotnick keeps on dishing them out. When it comes to consistency, you can’t knock his work ethic and the tunes are always decent, too. This one is kinda funky, with an insistent groove in the low-end. As it progresses we get a repeated synth line that adds a touch of drama to the track, and then more elements come into play to really tell a story.
7/10
DJ Deep 'La Grande Brasserie' (Rekids)
The donski himself, DJ Deep, is back with two separate EPs this month. His Rekids release is our focus here, and ‘La Grande Brasserie’ is undoubtedly the standout track A deeply hypnotic bassline catches you straight away, while unpredictable percussive elements and a cheeky hint of acid that quickly becomes increasingly prominent add to the contagious energy. This is a stone-cold killer.
9/10
Stevie R & Delfin feat Greg Rawson 'Jalemba' (Mathias Schober Rhythm remix) (Chapter 24)
Chapter 24 Records keeps the quality high with this spine-tingling new collection of tracks from Stevie R & Delfin. Mathis Schober turns in this wistful remix of ‘Jalemba’, which has just about enough techno in its DNA to deem it worthy of some space in this section. It’s a dour cut with grey hues aplenty and a goosebump-inducing breakdown.
8/10
Sasha 'GameOvr' (Cassy remix) (Watergate)
More militant business from Cassy, here, as she goes headlong into this rework of Sasha’s track ‘GameOvr’ on the legendary Watergate label. This is a stomping, more rudimentary take on the original which sounds menacing and minimal in equal measure. Halfway through, she pumps things up and injects some serious energy into the track. Wait for it, because it’s large.
9/10
Superlounge 'Jazzmatazz' (All Day I Dream)
If you can imagine you’re floating on a cloud of jaunty jazzy vibrations, you’ll get a good idea of how this one plays out. It’s ultra-smooth and groovy, with a superb techy bassline and drifting jazz elements that really transport you into another, more chilled plane. And Superlounge also gets extra points for naming the track after the series of releases recorded by late, great hip hop MC Guru.
8/10
