VA – FW 25/26 LP [RRR016]

Techno has always moved in cycles, styles fade in and out of focus, but true character stands the test of time. As the genre enters its fourth decade, it’s fascinating to see how experimentation sometimes becomes formula, and how fresh ideas can either break the mould or quietly slide into the mainstream. This new compilation on Repetitive Rhythm Research explores exactly that tension. 12 tracks by 12 artists, ranging from rising talents to established names, each bringing their own distinct approach. This isn’t your typical ‘cut from the same cloth’ compilation. It’s a diverse journey through contemporary techno with all its depth, quirks, and raw energy.

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VA – FW 25/26 LP [RRR016]

Marcel Dettmann – My Own Shadow: Approaching [K7458EP]

Dettmann’s live project ”My Own Shadow” is, in his own words, ”a space where all of my artistic expressions meet,” blending techno with film, sketches and photography. The shows are less club sets and more immersive experiences, where the audience gets lost in a ”full sensory narrative.” My Own Shadow’s first official release, Approaching, is a five-track EP, complemented by his own photography on the artwork. The music spans techno and ambient, fizzing with a madcap funk and energy quite unlike any of his previous productions.

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Marcel Dettmann – My Own Shadow: Approaching [K7458EP]

Black Dot – Love At Glance [IM017]

Black Dot lands on Italo Moderni with a cult futuristic gem on vocals by Le Chocolat Noir and hardware wizard Christian Kroupa, three obscure killers bangers ready for the dancefloor, last but not least with an epic remix by the king Marcel Dettmann.

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Black Dot – Love At Glance [IM017]

VA – Planet Destroyed [AVD020]

Avoidant Records is back with its latest and most direct V/A to date – Planet Destroyed. Once again compiling unique artists from across the globe, AVD constructs a stellar line up featuring some of the best in the game alongside up and coming talent from the world of Electro. Since its inception, Avoidant has firmly focused itself on diverse, uncompromising sonics and this newest compilation once again sets the bar high. This 4 track vinyl sampler includes tracks from Marcel Dettmann, Slam aka Autonomous, LUZ1E & SOD-90 who’s contributions all embody the theme of the Planet Destroyed – Avoidant once again creates the theme to your dystopian future.

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VA – Planet Destroyed [AVD020]

2022 Best Albums

Our favorite albums from 2022 compiled in chronological order.

Continue reading “2022 Best Albums”
2022 Best Albums

Marcel Dettmann – Fear Of Programming LP [DKMNTL095]

Nearly 10 years on since his last solo LP, Berlin techno icon Marcel Dettmann arrives on Dekmantel with an expansive album captured in a flash of inspiration. In many ways Fear Of Programming is a reflection on the artistic process – the critical hurdles one has to overcome, the constant strive for originality, the ability to capture inspiration in its pure moment of inception. Bar the closing title track (and we all know Marcel loves a surprise closing), these 13 tracks came together during a period in which our hirsute host was able to immerse himself in studio practice and set the intention to record an album’s worth of material every single day. From the resulting mass of work there were many options to choose from, and Fear Of Programming stood out as one of the most complete statements on Dettmann’s approach in the here and now.

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Marcel Dettmann – Fear Of Programming LP [DKMNTL095]

VA – No Photos On The Dancefloor! Berlin Techno 1992-Today [ABPLP0061/ABPLP0062]

VARIOUS - No Photos On The Dancefloor! Berlin Techno 1992-2006: Volume 1

‘No Photos on the Dance Floor! Berlin Techno 1992–Today’, compiled by Heiko Hoffmann, follows a hugely successful photography and video art exhibition by the same name that was co-curated by Hoffmann and shown at C/O Berlin in late 2019. The exhibition included works by photographers and visual artists such as Wolfgang Tillmans, Romual Karmakar, Sven Marquardt and Camille Blake, that dealt with Berlin’s club culture since the fall of the wall. It was followed in 2020 by a book of the same name which collected together the most striking imagery from the exhibition alongside interviews and personal essays.

Continue reading “VA – No Photos On The Dancefloor! Berlin Techno 1992-Today [ABPLP0061/ABPLP0062]”
VA – No Photos On The Dancefloor! Berlin Techno 1992-Today [ABPLP0061/ABPLP0062]

Vril – Alte Seele [145DSR]

Vril returns to Delsin with a cinematic ambient score. Backed with a remix pack of close friends featuring Voiski’s driving dub-techno, rattling breaks by His Master’s Voice and a thumping 808 electro take in collaboration with Marcel Dettmann.

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Vril – Alte Seele [145DSR]

VA – Issue No 22 [JL022]

The 22nd “Issue” on Regis, Silant Servant and James Ruskin’s Jealous God label is predictably impressive. Undoubtedly the most notable inclusion is “The Bond”, a rare collaboration between Marcel Dettman and Silent Servant that looks to the sleazy, arpeggio-driven thrust of Electronic Body Music for inspiration. It’s the EP’s one genuine “peak-time” moment and strong enough to carry the whole 12″, though happily Pye Corner Audio’s flipside excursions are also impressive. Check, for example, the undulating, fluttering, post dub techno cut “Delay Gratification” and the swirling, hypnotic dancefloor melancholy of inspired closer “The Future”, where a lone acid line rises above a dense and poignant backing track.

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VA – Issue No 22 [JL022]

VA – Selectors 003 [DKMNTLSLCTRS003]

DETTMANN, Marcel/VARIOUS - Selectors 003

Dekmantel’s Selectors series now continues with an edition curated by Marcel Dettmann. Although he’s now known as one of the world’s most celebrated techno artists, even Marcel Dettmann had to start somewhere. Long before he ever held court at Berghain (or its predecessor, Ostgut), he was just another young boy in Eastern Germany, one whose earliest encounters with capitalism involved spending every penny he could scrape together down at the local record shop. In those days, it wasn’t techno that got him excited, but new wave, post-punk, industrial and EBM acts like Front 242 and Depeche Mode. Get back to his roots right here.

vinyl / CD

VA – Selectors 003 [DKMNTLSLCTRS003]

Noah Gibson – A New Hope [MDR022]

GIBSON, Noah - A New Hope

Sweden’s Noah Gibson first appeared in 2015 on his local imprint Krasch Records, in addition to a release on TANSTAAFL and his own Trouble In Paradise imprint which he runs with Henrik Bergqvist. It’s quite impressive that his sixth release thus far in such a short amount of time lands on Marcel Dettmann’s esteemed imprint. “A New Hope” features six cuts of raw and jacking analogue techno shenanigans which are quite a departure from the label’s usual preference for harsh and industrial greyscale techno excursions. Gibson’s style is somewhat reminiscent of the rusty analogue punk of homegrown heroes like Frak at times; especially on the lo-fi electro funk of “Silent Install” which was real style. However, the high octane clang and clatter of “Origin” and the cyclical thump of “Tilt” (MD Edit) will have the MDR faithful satisfied for sure.

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Noah Gibson – A New Hope [MDR022]