FEATURED RELEASE
Another one of Berghain / Panorama Bar's gifted resident DJs delivers her debut album for the club's prestigious Ostgut Ton label, and just like Marcel Dettmann, Ben Klock, and Shed before her, Steffi doesn't disappoint with her premier full-length, 'Yours & Mine'.
Having run the Klakson label for years with partner Dexter, Steffi knowns how to combine the old with the new, and while influences to her sound can be traced back to the likes of Chez Damier, Larry Heard, and Basic Channel, 'Yours & Mine' is a surprisingly modern sounding album with a timeless edge.
Eponymous tracks 'Yours' and 'Mine' are two of the album's stand-out titles, the former contrasting a cooled-down Detroit-style chord progression with Virginia Nascimento's warm house vocals, the latter paying homage to Mr. Fingers with a percussive TR-707 groove set ablaze by lush analogue synth lines.
These are just two of the highlights however on what is a thoroughly excellent album that even goes as far as dipping its toes into techno soul, as on Virginia's second appearance, 'You Own My Mind'. Pulling this off as convincingly as Steffi does is no mean feat and speaks volumes about her maturity as a producer. Highly recommended.
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MORE TECHNO ESSENTIALS
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The first volume in a three-part series of Mokira reworks has Marcel Dettmann step to the plate with two strikingly good pieces of abstract techno. 'Factory Report I' is a drifting and rather playful dub, while 'Factory Report II' showcases the kind of austere deepness we love Dettmann for. Great.
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EP released 09-02-2011 on Minus
A taster for his upcoming album, 'Play It Loud!', Italian techno hero Marco Carola drops his 'Groove Catcher EP' via the mighty Minus imprint. Martin Buttrich steals the show however with his two highly distinct mixes - one in Desolat, one in Planet E style - of Carola's minimalistic original. Check.
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After a wealth of singles 'Alive' is Chaim Avital's first album, and the Israeli producer does a perfect job of tuning his sound to the full-length format: 12 tracks of techno and pop-induced house music with plenty of lush vocals, catchy hooks, and subtle mood swings to keep you listening. Highly recommended!
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Divulging from his more abstract experimentalism, Frank Bretschneider's latest album on Shitkatapult treads a straighter techno, named after his 'Komet' moniker. Opening with a deliriously droney track, Bretschneider continues with pulsating, finely sculpted techno to great effect. Excellent.
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A remastered version of Aril Brikha's remarkable debut album demonstrates the admirable timeless quality of his productions ten years on. Alongside the original tracks, the release includes ten unreleased tracks recorded between 1995-99, which includes plentiful gems, 'Fuknit' and 'Us' amongst them. Staggering.
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Ben Klock's 'Tracks from 07' see a digital release and they are still as good as in 2010, 2007, or whenever. 'Viscoplastic's stoic, Robert Hood-style bounce is contrasted by the mercilessly, grinding 'Red Alert', which calls classic Joey Beltram to mind. Essential, timeless techno tracks.
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TEMP~Records boss Irradiation and Electric Indigo collaborate on this eerie, playful minimal track 'Phytoplankton'. In the remixes, Rossella unravels a brilliant uneasy dubbed-out mood, Dasha Rush packs a punchy bass-driven version and Jennifer Cardini dreams up a sweeter, floatier rework. Very nice package!
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For release number 100 on his legendary Synewave label Damon Wild has his classic 'Avion' remixed by an all-star cast of producers, Marcel Dettmann, Echoplex, and Jurek Przezdziecki among them. Serious techno all the way, making for an excellent EP.
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Ivan Smagghe and Roman Flügel team up as RMVN for this brilliantly quirky EP. 'Amen Aderno' is best described as Moroderish neo-disco with a chiptune break and Gregorian chants. 'Uno' brings on more abstract Flügel-techno stylings, and Oliver Ho's new band, The Eyes In the Heat, is on remix duties!
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A further collaboration between Davenport and Deutschmann 'Trump' sees wistful synth washes under a bouncing icey motif. Jerome Sydenham adds an immersive cavernous bass and Brendon Moeller's fluidly agile refix engages thoroughly. A biting acid remix rounds things off nicely. Recommended!
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Maxi-Single released 14-02-2011 on Diynamic
Spanish shooting star Uner drops his third EP on Diynamic, its title track offering a finely tuned percussive groove, a memorable bass hook and subtle wildpitch vibes. 'La Revolucio'n' follows this up with a bouncing house beat, and 'Retrospection' ends the EP on a melodic Ibiza tip. Hit.
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Formerly signed to the sadly defunct New Religion label Naveed Akhtar revives his Freak Seven alias after seven years for his debut on Rush Hour. 'Nano Kids' and 'Feel The Soul' are two brash and upfront techno house slammers, both included in a vocal and an instrumental version. Recommended.
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Final set of remixes of Shake's classics. Skudge deliver a Berghain-compatible take on 'The Floorfiller', hinting at the original's funky stabs at best, while MRSK turn ambient masterpiece 'Travellers' into Rob Hood-style techno. Not much of remixes then, but fine tracks in their own right.
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Huge BPitch compilation of 17 previously unreleased tracks, beginning with Cormac's mantra 'The Present' the label boldly rages through. New material by label head Ellen Allien, lush experimentals from AGF & Vladislav Delay, killer sultry grooves from Sascha Funke and Chaim amongst them. Blissful!
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A massive compilation of 47 tracks by Mexico City's Blaq Records showcases the finest Mexican techno and house producers alongside international artists like Jeff Bennett, Milos, Stewart Walker, Derek Marin, and Itzone. Plenty of new music to be discovered.
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Shady duo Snuff Crew have acquired quite a following since entering the scene with 'God' in 2008. They blast the doors open for Gigolo in 2011 with 'Kings Cross', a no-nonsense slice of purist old-school techno strewn with acid sneezes, building and holding their stead the Snuff Crew way. Devilish business!
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Ness, hailing from Sardinia serves up this EP of luscious dark techno as his debut release on the fine Prologue imprint. From the eerie ambient details of 'Diagnostic Function', the sharper subtle textures of 'Diagnostic Sequence' and the gloomy pumping final track, this is serious biz! Excellent.
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Kink and Adam Port split this latest Liebe*Detail volume. The Bulgarian producer goes up first with the banging 'Detunator', a minimalistic and quite hypnotic techno track, while Berlin's Adam Port delivers a contemporary, Keinemusik-style house tune. Recommended.
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Luke Slater's Mote Evolver label releases the first EP of anonymous artist Shifted: Four tracks of austere and cavernous techno that should make this a must for fans of Dettmann, Regis, as well as the Prologue and Stroboscopic Artefacts labels' releases. Solid.
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