Boomstraat 1818’s newest release ‘Durgan’s Odyssey’ is a warm and melodic Detroit techno EP, inspired by summer visits to the Cornish coast at Glendurgan. Includes five tracks by Kuba Sojka, The Parallel, Aztronouth, Taho and Stroef.
Vibraphone Records starts the new year with another banger from Basic Realities. Dubtroit is a classic techno hommage to Motor City and it comes around with an stunning remix by the Legend, Mr. ”Inner City” Kevin Saunderson.
The Axis Expressionist Series continues in 2024. For Part 04 „X-Rax Zulu“ Jeff Mills went into the studio and created “Just Like A (Vernacular Objects)”, a new mix of „Vernacular Objects“ (previously released 2020 only in digital as “Every Dog Has Its Day. Vol. 13”) and produced three new tracks exclusively for this vinyl edition.
UK producer, Darren Nye, is set to captivate listeners with his exciting new album, “Thoughts And Emotions,” released on Deeptrax. The long-player delves deep into the realms of techno, harking back to the golden era of the 90s and channeling influences not just from Detroit, but also the electronic waves that emanated from the UK, Belgium, and the Netherlands. ‘Thoughts And Emotions’ is a labor of love, where Nye masterfully explores and curates a rich collection of sounds, all bearing his distinct signature. Across twelve tracks, the listener is treated to an exceptional journey that encompasses bubbling electronica, down-tempo jazzy flourishes, and cosmic string-laden soundscapes. Darren’s socially conscious titles also add an extra layer of meaning to the listener’s experience, creating a soothing and moving soundtrack that speaks to the soul.
Deeptrax presents Deepseries 1.3, the latest installment in their Deep compilation series featuring friends and family of the label. This atmospheric EP showcases the distinct sounds of Deeptrax, bringing together a curated selection of tracks that define the label’s sonic universe. Tracks from Caim, Mathijs Smit, Joey Anderson, Rich P & Lee and Pim Holthof.
The Don is back to round off the series with maybe his most sought after release, his Remember EP. Reaching crazy prices online, the two tracks have been lost for some time. Now being remastered, ready for any dark club or after party.
Adeen Records is on a roll right now and this time out they welcome the Detroit hero that is Marcellus Pittman for a new and beguiling four-track 12”. Known for his work with The 3 Chairs collective as well as his solo jams, this Motor City mainstay opens up with ‘You Always Hank Bank One Time’ which is a real mental maze of rickety loops and blurts of degraded synth. ‘Another Spring Lover’ is another rusty and lo-fi piece of archetypal Detroit house that is very clearly machine music but with a unique sense of human soul. ‘I’m Gonna Be The Everything’ is a raw drum track with sparse, heartwarming chords and ‘Slick Nickle Pladium Investment’ is a knackered downbeat hip-hop closer.
The techno masterpiece by Juan Atkins & Orlando Voorn gets a remix treatment including mixes by Steve Rachmad and DJ S2 aka Santiago Salazar, former member of Underground Resistance and co-founder of the Historia y Violencia label together with Silent Servant. The original version of Game One was released on Metroplex back in 1994. The Steve Rachmad mix and Salazar remake have both been carefully restored from the original tapes and then remastered. Santiago made an alternative mix in the same session which is exclusive to this release and previously unreleased.
Juan Atkin’s masterpiece compilation, the blueprint of Techno albums…. the 1993 Model 500 ‘Classics’ compilation with some of Juan Atkins’ biggest early Metroplex milestones, with some of them in exclusive remixed versions. 3 decades later Metroplex is re-releasing this collection of hugely influential tracks for a new generation to play from fresh and clean vinyl!. Just like the recent 12″ reissue series, this album has been fully remastered with all the care and attention to detail you can imagine. Tracks like ,,No UFOs”, ,,The Chase”, ,,Techno Music”, ,,Night Drive (Time, Space, Transmat)” or ,,Off To Battle” are basically techno ground zero, with the electro influence of mid-80s to late-80s Juan Atkins productions still omnipresent. 30 years on since its original release on R&S records, ‘Classics’ is still as gritty and timeless a statement as ever.
Vibraphone presents another huge release. This time it’s Silicon Minds – IHY (Interstellar Hypnotic Yama -Biko), with an timeless Mayday Tribute Mix by the one and only Derrick May.
The “Edge Of The Visible Universe” is a 24 tracks album by Terrence Dixon. The album was recorded in Detroit and Amsterdam and is only be available exclusively on band camp in digital format only.
The album will be followed soon by a vinyl release with the same name featuring four club oriented tracks under the Population one alias.
Metroplex continues its run of reissues with two more seminal releases from the label’s golden back catalog. First off is Catalog number M003, aka late 80’s Metroplex electro staple Channel One, a Juan Atkins joint with Doug Craig (Carl Craig’s cousin) on vocals. Futuristic and playful techno from the late 80s which soundwise evolves from Cybotron and the obvious Kraftwerk influences. Juan Atkins said about the release in a 2005 interview that “it was more fun than politically driven, just about the colors and combination spread from colors”. An important release in the history of Techno from both a cultural and creative perspective. Channel One’s technicolor has been carefully remastered from the original tapes.
The second 12” from Stasis on De:tuned. Steve Pickton is widely regarded as one of the pioneers of the early UK techno scene. Here he returns with a new 3 track EP of carefully selected and previously unreleased DAT tape tracks from the heyday of 90s electronic music. On offer a uniquely lush and sentimental style that resonates with the 313 Motor City sound. Sweet memories are the greatest kind of nostalgia.
Repetitive Rhythm Research mainstay Frequency returns to the series with ”Turn The Light”. Taking cues from classic Detroit influences, but taking it even deeper with trippy vocal edits and tight production. Alden Tyrell & Serge turn the lights up with a bottom heavy remix. ”Space Dub Work” closes in style with it’s deep dubby breakbeat.
Dolly is kicking off a new TS series, focused on serious high quality techno in the widest sense. The first release in the series comes from Detroit dub techno specialist, Luke Hess. Dynamic, pumpy and melodic, deep techno bombs with super solid remixes by Portuguese techno talent Vil as well as the Italian power duo Fireground.
Twenty five years after its initial release, and accompanying the re-release of ‘Internal Empire’ Tresor Records present a new cut and pressing (180gm) of Robert Hood’s essential ‘Master Builder’. The ongoing importance of this single and its adjacent album is indisputable, essential both to techno and to Tresor. It is a history intertwined. This work elevates its maker as master, and remains a cherished moment in the Tresor story, sharing an irrefutable singular magic, sounding as present and indispensable as when first created. To understand this work fully is to stand back and celebrate its impact.
Part of the Axis Expressionist Series. A collection of vinyl and limited digital releases, curated by Millsart, an alias of Jeff Mills, of his most eclectic and transcendent compositions that derive from his Every Dog Has Its Day project as well as new unreleased works. Vernacular creations that fall off from the ”other side” of the Electronic Music tree, this project is designed for the experienced Techno music listener, and its goal is to reflect upon the pure artistry of the craft of storytelling. A realization between music and life. Whereas ”dancing” is the goal of Dance Music, the goal of this music is about ”reflecting on the complexity and simplification of life”. Soundtracks for people in their evolutionary process.
Norm Talley returns to his Upstairs Asylum label alongside fellow US house pioneer Delano Smith for Straight Up No Chaser, an eight-track opus featuring four solo cuts each. Talley’s gritty, dubbed-out, low-rolling house style is present and correct throughout with the loopy chords of ‘Blak Bottom’ getting things going, ‘The Flip’ getting more cavernous and aqueous and ‘ISO Vision’ leaning into dub techno. ‘Believe It’ is a soulful deep house looper, while Smith gets bubbly with ‘The Bassline’, lays down thumping kicks on ‘Travels 23’ and his trademark synth smears on ‘The Drive’ while ‘Remembrance’ is a heady dub house cut that locks you into a state of perfect hypnosis.
The Hipodrome Of Music 