minimal techno
Takaaki Itoh / Adriana Lopez – Grey Report 04 [GR004V]
Spanish techno outpost Grey Report welcomes Takaaki Itoh to join the fold and share some vinyl space with the Adriana Lopez. Itoh’s tracks adorn the A side, dealing in appropriately monochromatic workouts that keep the synths icy and cold and the rhythms ever snaking forwards, dodging the pitfall of becoming sluggish while laying down an appropriate amount of weight at the same time. Lopez meanwhile has a touch more colour going on with “Between Thoughts” and “Metodo” while adhering to the demands of cyclical techno.
Sterac aka Steve Rachmad @ Boiler Room x Dekmantel Festival 03.08.2014
Oscar Mulero @ Boiler Room x Dekmantel Festival 02.08.2014
P.E.A.R.L. – The Fall Of Because [FEX002]
This is the second reference of Falling Ethics, Berlin based label owned by P.E.A.R.L. This delivery is composed by two original tracks and remixes by the leader of techno in Spain, Oscar Mulero, and by The Transhumans, the Spanish duo based in Berlin.
Monobox aka Robert Hood – Film / Rectangle [MPM022]
As part of M-Plant’s 20th Anniversary, it’s the perfect time for Robert Hood to re-visit one of his other decisive monikers, Monobox. The deep and melodious tones of ‘Film’ are beautifully offset by the tougher machine groove of ‘Rectangle’, with both tracks conveying the hypnotic minimalist approach of Hood’s otherworldly Monobox sound.
SDX – Reference 05 [REF005]
Robert Hood – Protein Valve (Re-Plants) [MPM021]
The Floorplan project show-cased Robert Hood’s love of gospel-tinged house, but as this, his latest release demonstrates, he remains a techno artist through and through. The Protein Valve record originally appeared on M Plant 20 years ago and like Hood’s Internal Empire and Minimal Nation releases, became a blueprint for minimal techno. On the “Re-Plant” and “Edit 1” versions, nagging, insistent percussion and an eerie organ sound create a sense of drama. However, the old approach proves to be the most effective and the second edit remains closer to the original sound, with jittery hats, unsettling organ riffs and the wind whooshing past in the background.
Jeroen Search – Figure SPC T [FIGSPCT6]
One of the true masters of modern minimalism, and one of the central artists on Figure SPC, Dutch artist Jeroen Search is back. Over three exciting and urgent new tracks Search hones in his skills in programming and arrangement to create yet more exciting and unique club tools. A refined and trippy journey into the cleaner, more funky end of the Techno spectrum, ‘Magnus’ works an airy, bleep-era riff atop snappy, tight drums and frenetic hat and ride elevations. Constantly lifting the energy, dropping it off with subtle tension, and bringing it back again, its a masterful example of the producer’s talents.Drifitng into more edgy zones, the darker and more sinister ‘Renaissance’ welcomes back Jeroen’s jacking house influences, as this groovy 90s-vibed jam takes off. A rough and totally out-there synth riff emerges from the forward pushing percussion to take centre stage, creating a moment of wild abandon!’Formalized’ completes the EP with a more abstract trip into dark dance. Classic techno bleeps and pizzicato synth patterns revolve and hypnotize in this reduced and frankly killer slice of paranoid genius.
Sterac – Klockworks 12 [KW012]
Dutch techno legend Steve Rachmad, aka STERAC, joins the Klockworks ranks with an outstanding four-track EP. Funky minimal techno like he did a long time ago on Robert Hood’s M-Plant in an updated version.
Spherical Coordinates – Kinematics Equations EP [TOKEN045]
New release on Token, coming from Spherical Coordinates with 4 spacey but powerful cuts, straight for the floor.
Efdemin – Decay Versions Pt.1 [DIAL067]
Efdemin presents the 1st part of a remix series, featuring mixes by Asusu, Staffan Linzatti & The Borderline State.
Psyk – Time Foundation [MOTELP002]
After two succesful EP releases on the label, Psyk aka Manuel Anós is back on Mote-Evolver inaugurating his first full-length album effort. “Time Foundation” proves to be an outstanding collection that shows the full spectrum of Psyk’s sound and the range of skills as he expands and explores different depths and moods. Keeping the energy level constant at the peak, there’s no downtime in “Time Foundation”. And while 10 sharp-cut tracks are all armed with clean, streamlined groove and impressive sound design therefore may soundincredibly slick and effortless, once you listened closely – and they will demand your attention – that kind of breezing through swift force is only the byproduct of Psyk’s high caliber production ability to map out meticulous structures with a great detail.
Roman Poncet – Opening Moment EP [DRH046]
Heavy pounding functional tracks balanced with some fresh adventurous techno tracks. The young and passionate French producer making his debut on Dj Deep’s Deeply Rooted.
Head Front Panel – HFP #003 [HFP003]
Those looking for concrete information about the music they’re listening to should probably steer clear of Tabernacle Records’ offshoot Head Front Panel. They’ve yet to announce the identity of any of the producers behind the series blend of slowed-down futurism, discordant electronics and feverish techno. This third installment in the series is similarly mysterious in origin, and once again features a range of intriguing cuts. Opener “Track 1” sounds like an explosion in a “Speak & Spell” factory – a veritable whirlwind of discordant beeps and throbbing techno rhythms – while “Track 2” offers a smoother and more hypnotic variation on a similar theme. Best of all, though, is the jaunty, late night bounce of slow techno excursion “Track 3”.
Ø [Phase] – Emergence EP [TOKEN042]
Speaker-rattling Techno sound designs. Straight-up haunting, hypnotic club tracks constructed with a real attention to detail and powerful thrust. Ø (Phase) releases his first new material after the critically acclaimed ‘Frames Of Reference’ album last year.
Tadeo – A Container Of Contradictions [MRECLTDGS008]
The eighth 12” in the Grey Series is signed by Spanish producer Tadeo. Reasons’ is a short opening interlude that borrows from Vangelis soundtracks and epic ambient soundscapes, built on a loop that is clearly techno-inspired. ‘Uncertainty’ emerges via layers and layers of ever-changing loops. With its progressive nature, it’s an unconventional techno track that hypnotizes through the relationship of melody and repetition. There are bells, strings and harsh sounds at play here, creating something that thanks to a great bassline is groovy and gelid at the same time.On the flip side, ‘A Step To The Future’ has a crafty, Detroit-y bassline with a trippy melody growing around it. Comes out as a restrained experiment that distantly references ravey refrains, kinda like an academic dissection of a massive 90s techno classic. ‘Latence State’, the last joint on this EP, pushes the hypnotic loops even further. Things get liquid and complex, although still carried tightly by an irresistible melody.
Philippe Petit – Stars EP [KW012]
Philippe Petit delivers three hypnotic techno tracks. In addition, he invites Terrence Dixon back on Knotweed so that Terrence can give his own minimalistic interpretation of Stars.
Tadeo @ Insert Club (Barcelona) 06.04.2014
Rødhåd – Red Rising EP [DYSTOPIAN007]
Red Rising out of the ruins dystopian producer and mastermind Rødhåd follow up with his third EP on Dystopian since 2012. In three tracks between hell and mars, the red techno man shows his amazing melancholic and deep style.
The Hipodrome Of Music 