Population One 313 power pack on Harbour City Sorrow.
detroit techno
Sleeparchive – Trust [TRESOR316]
Throughout his career, Roger Semsroth has followed a deep intuition for experimentation in sound, wrapping club music around eerie microtonal motifs and industrial sensibilities. This new work for Tresor takes a step forward, as the first true techno album from Sleeparchive, where his previous LPs have exhibited themselves more conceptually, or under di erent names and his Nord Vest label. Semsroth has been active in electronic music since the late 90s. He received initial attention first for his electro productions under the alias Skanfrom and the 80s minimal synth inspired Television Set. These projects echoed his love for these sounds, which the East Berliner had steadily immersed himself with after the end of the GDR. Upon hearing the bleeps of Mika Vainio and Plastikman, he began to engage with his strain of techno. Over the last decade, he has focused on his Sleeparchive alias, which dates back to 2004. Alongside close friend DJ Pete, he performs live techno as TR-101. His relationship with Tresor began in 2011, first releasing the Ronan Point EP and following up with the crucial A Man Dies In The Street series in 2013. With this new album, Sleeparchive’s impact on the techno sound is ever more relevant. Awaking in constant locomotion, locked-in, unrelenting and dry. Sleeparchive’s churning loops etch visions of tight minimalism at times densely frenetic and others serenely galactic. This predilection continues throughout the four sides on the album, eschewing conventional arrangement styles with gradual probabilistic change. Tracks such as ‘Needle’ and ‘Peccant’ o er up precise, sinewy techno. ‘Leave’ recalls the Detroit sound of Terrence Dixon, with its cascading synth tones and droning atmospheres. The album closes with a di erent version of ‘Trust’ to that found on last year’s Revised Recordings EP released on Tresor, with its now-familiar nerve-inducing pizzicato strings even more at the fore with its mechanic delivery.
Artefakt – Icarus [143DSR]
After launching their own De Stijl label last year, Artefakt are back on Delsin with Icarus, a sparkling new four track outing. Known for their intricate sound design and deep yet hard hitting grooves. Always serving up atmospheric music that is artful and filled with rich detail, they continued on their own path once again here. Starting with the smooth and hypnotic, stripped back grooves from Icarus. Followed by the cavernous and immersive ambient trip Ganzfeld Effect. The darker Vapour is still heady and meticulously crafted with deft little details, a rich sound field and supple techno drums getting you in the zone. Delphic then offers crisp breakbeats, dubby drums and electrically charged synths that are physical but emotional. It’s another perfect fusion of light and dark, thoughtful and physical techno from this ever impressive pair.
Nexus 21 – Made In Detroit [NEXUS21-2]
Of all the Network treasured relics set to be released this year to celebrate the 30th Anniversary of the label there’s nothing as appropriate as the Nexus 21 “Made In Detroit” EP – it was recorded in the 1990 starter year and has been stuck In the vaults gathering dust ever since.
Millsart – Every Dog Has Its Day part 5 [AX085]
This New Year, Jeff Mills is inviting us to look inward in the form of his Every Dog Has Its Day series. The last time we had an installment came 17 years ago, just enough time for a periodical cicada to emerge from theground, finished with its former life as a nymph. The sixth edition of this series is soon to follow in spring dressed in brown, continuing to deliver a spiritual and emotional raft for you to see that Every Dog Has Its Day. Mills himself has said, “You never figure out life, you just get used to it.” Reflected in this record is that sentiment, that life doesn’t present to you the answers because there are none. What is right and just for you, may not be for me, so how can I share with you any secrets. Electronic music can act as a guide, a catalyst of your headspace; it is not the map.
Orbe – Mechanische Apparate [ORB010]
Orbe is the long going Madrid based funk and techno veteran. His first release of 2020 is the 10th release on his own ORBE imprint. The EP entitled ‘Mechanische Apparate’ includes five mesmerizing techno trips. Focused on coherence and hypnotism, these five deep tools are essential for the most refined techno DJ’s.
Shinedoe – Feelings EP [RSPX19]
Shinedoe joins Rekids Special Projects with a synth-driven techno release entitled ‘Feelings EP’. ‘Feelings’ opens on a 90s rave tip with arpeggiated synths, delayed hats, rolling snares and distant voices before ‘Roots Are Calling’ dives in as Shinedoe brings her African grooves back to techno with rattling percussion, reverbed plucks, enticing tom hits and saturated claps. On the flip ‘Nature Save Us’ bounces with mid-range bass, 909 like beat programming, whistling lasers and subtle strings until the ‘Beats Mix’ finalises with a rhythmically charged edit, featuring vocals from Shinedoe herself, pulsing with classic cymbals and sublime layered vocals.
Aux88 – Counterparts [DBC001]
The return of the extraterrestrial time travelers Aux88 have returned with an all new double LP, Counterparts. Unforgettable bass lines and vocals that make everyone run to the dance floor and ascend to the DJ booth for confirmation of, “who is this?” Side A – starts with the track “Intel.” The string work and Kraftwerkian tone is evident with this gem. Aux88 takes it even further with a message to the electro haters, “You Don’t Want None of This!” Side B – “Moon Walker” simply put…that Bass Line…wow! As only Aux88 and a few others can do it … Detroit styled Parliament Funkadelic funky. Side C – gives homage to the Detroit jitters with the track “Pothole Paradise.” It’s fast funky and not for messing around. As Mike Banks said in the Aux88 documentary interview, “when DJ’s drop Aux88 shit, it’s time to dance and shake that ass!” Pothole Paradise is exactly that type of track….Detroit Proud. The culmination of all original 4 members returning for a new flight from the Aux quadrant to invade the world. The Double LP gives you electro/techno funk from Detroit Legends Blak Tony, K-1, Posatronix & Tom Tom.
The Nightstalker – Tragedies Of A High-Tech World LP [CHILDNINE]
Mysterious duo Nightstalker returns after an 18 year hiatus with ‘Tragedies Of A High Tech World’. Ten tracks spread out over 2 heavyweight vinyl slabs, containing dark hues of acid, dreamy atmospheres, and Drexciyan influenced chord progressions of the highest order. A musical journey awaits here, traveling from themes of social programming, and controlled society on Earth to mystical High Tech planets in deep outer space and back. An essential release for all admirers of pure analogue and imaginative Electro and Techno.
Secret State – Arctic EP [BBR019]
Frosty… 4 ice cold trax from Toby Smith AKA Tobias Schmidt on the “Arctic E.P.” Jacking Detroit Techno meets footwork on these 150 BPM plus hitters. Let these tracks tell you everything you need to know about the myth that is the… Secret State.
Claro Intelecto – In Vitro [141DSR/142DSR]
Delsin are pleased to gather together some of the highlights from the rich and varied catalogue of Manchester-based producer Claro Intelecto. From his earliest works on Ai Records through a prolific run on Modern Love to his more recent outings on Delsin, Mark Stewart has continually presented a vision of electronic music that uses the Detroit blueprint as a launch pad for his own distinctive strain of techno. Moving from elegant beauty to rabid intensity while grounded by a firm sense of rhythm, his catalogue runs deep and wide. The second volume in this expansive compilation series filters out select highlights from across his discography, and reframes them as a compelling overview of a truly distinctive voice in modern electronic music.
Jeff Mills – The Directors Cut Chapter 6 [AX084DC]
The sixth segment in Jeff Mills´ retrospective series „The Directors Cut” is dedicated to his anthem The Bells. First released as part of the Kat Moda PM002 EP on the Purpose Maker label in 1997, the original track is remastered and available now again. Available on vinyl for the very first time is the orchestra version of The Bells, taken from The Blue Potential (Originally released on CD and DVD). The premiere of Jeff Mills performing his works with an orchestra was celebrated in 2005 in France. For his open-air concert with the Montpellier Philharmonic Orchestra, at the historic Pont Du Gard in Montpellier, Jeff Mills´works were transcribed in notes for the individual instruments of the orchestra for the first time. This version of The Bells captures an unforgettable live moment where electronic music met classical in an unprecedented way. History revisited, but Mills leads back to present & future as well; the previously unreleased The Homosapiens Sapiens is a Sci-Fi affair, created especially for this chapter of „Directors Cut.”
Orlando Voorn – Diligence Pt.2 [ABPLP002]
Dutch Techno master Orlando Voorn has opened up his archive for the first of what will be an ongoing artist focused series brought to you by new imprint Above Board Projects. The compilation will be spread across 2 double 12″ volumes and will feature tracks from many of Voorn’s pseudonyms including; Fix, Baruka, The Ghetto Brothers, Mute & many more. Part 2 opens with the minimalistic bladerunner Techno of Voorn & Juan Atkins’ Infiniti classic ‘Game One’, a true modern classic, also featured is the rolling, paranoia inducing late night groove of ‘Dream World’ from one of Voorn’s more obscure projects Complex, all showcasing a wide variety of styles and sounds. Flawless selections from the early 90’s sitting alongside later productions only go to show how diverse and talented an artist Voorn is and how fresh and vital his music still is today. An essential collection for any serious techno lover.
Alien Disco – In Flight Entertainment [LBDN-004]
Allen Saei, better known as Aubrey, is a unique DJ and record producer. This funny nickname came from the 80s British cartoon series where the main character had this red nose like him on the first day at the new school after moving from Portsmouth to Cowplain. Aubrey’s career though, is not funny at all since he is considered a pioneer of the global tech-house scene. Like a true rock star, it seems he lived a kind of troubled life across Europe, with a reputation that has made him very well respected in the US also, already in the mid 90s.
Sterac – Aeras [AERA025]
Indigo Aera presents a new release by none other than Sterac. This two tracker consists of two timeless Detroit rooted techno masterclasses which are a perfect fit for the Indigo philosophy: classic melodic techno music aimed at dancefloors.
Ectomorph – Stark [IT002RE]
Essential electro-techno classic. This is the second record from Ectomorph and second record for the label Interdimensional Transmissions, from 1995. This is the first time it has been repressed in over a decade, and its been done using the original masters — coming from 2 wizards of Midwest Mastering. The A side was mastered by Mark Richardson at Metropolis (who later founded Prairie Cat Mastering) and the B side is complete with lock grooves cut by Ron Murphy. Manufactured in Detroit!
Orlando Voorn – Diligence Pt.1 [ABPLP001]
Dutch Techno master Orlando Voorn has opened up his archive for the first of what will be an ongoing artist focused series brought to you by new imprint Above Board Projects. The compilation will be spread across 2 double 12″ volumes and will feature tracks from many of Voorn’s pseudonyms including; Fix, Baruka, The Ghetto Brothers, Mute & many more. This is the first of a 2-part archival collection entitled ‘Diligence’. Each track featured on the compilation has been carefully selected and programmed in conjunction with Orlando Voorn and the Above Board Projects team. Voorn has an extremely long and storied career in making music and is severely underrated as a producer. His DJ skills are, of course, legendary, with him winning the prestigious DMC mixing championships in 1986 in his native Holland and making a career as one of the country’s leading Hip-Hop DJ’s. As a producer he has long been linked to numerous legendary producers and releases, counting labels such as Fragile, Metroplex and more as homes for his output. His association and collaborations with Detroit have been the stuff of legend since day one and some of the music contained within these compilations celebrate that while showcasing some of the more overlooked tracks from the man’s more than extensive catalogue. Part 1 includes some serious rarities and some straight up, futurist Techno heat, take the majestic technoid melodies of comp opener ‘Diligent’ from one of Voorn’s most well loved alias’ FIX for example, completely worlds apart from the jacking and sparse Funk of Baruka’s killer ‘Technision’. Flawless selections from the early 90’s sitting alongside later productions only go to show how diverse and talented an artist Voorn is and how fresh and vital his music still is today. An essential collection for any serious techno lover.
Jeff Mills – The Director’s Cut Chapter 5 [AX083DC]
For those who dig Jeff Mills but don’t have the time or money to hoard records from his extensive back catalogue, the ongoing “Director’s Cut” series showcasing hard-to-find gems from his discography is a godsend. Volume five begins with a trip back to 2015 and “Solar Cycles” – an alien-sounding, otherworldly mid-tempo techno loop jam – from the limited edition, USB-only “Proxima Centauri” album. Side B begins with the bleeping tribal techno hustle of “L8” from 1998’s “Skin Deep EP”, before Mills offers us a chance to drift through space via 2006 track “Above Waiting Worlds”, which is one of his most intergalactic and cinematic dancefloor cuts to date (and that’s saying something).
Julien H Mulder – The Sequence EP [SYMLTD006]
Swedens’s Julien H Mulder delivers the sixth release for Ben Sims’ Symbolism LTD imprint this Autumn. Mulder, who has been releasing his brand of tripped out, spacey techno since 2007 received what is perhaps the ultimate techno compliment early this year when Jeff Mills mistakenly released Mulder’s ‘Patterns in Nature’ as his own on Axis offshoot, Str Mrkd. Now, we’re treated to a full EP of spaced out but punchy techno cuts.
Octave One – Locus of Control Vol. 2 [4W720]
Detroit pioneers Octave One serve up Locus of Control Volume 2, continuing their journey of exploration of power or powerlessness over what moves one’s world. This EP series takes its name from a psychological concept that refers to how strongly people believe they have control over the situations and experiences that affect their lives. Part 1 showcased euphoric piano stabs and uplifting drum lines, and Part 2 explores more propulsive techno.
The Hipodrome Of Music 