Techno News

Raw, partly New Beat leaning, acidic Techno / Electro EP

Repress

The album is the second full length album by Shawn Rudiman for Pittsburgh Tracks and follows his latest release--the joint EP with Jordan GCZ entitled AMS>PIT on Love What You Feel

* Artist Statement:
Conduit contains moments from the last two or so years of my life. There have been a lot of trying times and ups and downs in there. These moments are the exhaust of that life. Some more subjective than others. We are simply conduits for whatever flows through our cores. We tap into it. We allow it to flow through us. As it takes shape, we select its forms and hone its output. We are simply conduit for our work. Maintain the Flow State.

2021 sees EPM hit a new milestone as the digital distribution, rights management, PR company and record label celebrates 20 years of electronic music. The first part of the EPM20 celebrations sees a series of three multi-artist EPs released across the summer, each focussing on a different genre – techno, electro and house – the three main pillars of EPM’s musical heritage. Each EP features four brand new and exclusive tracks released digitally and on vinyl in specially designed sleeves.

The first of these EPs focuses on techno and presents new tracks from four of the world’s leading techno artists, Robert Hood, Ben Sims, James Ruskin and Mark Broom. The choice was an easy one for EPM, not only because of the artists’ excellent production skills but also because of a long working relationship, which includes the digital distribution of their respective labels – M-Plant, Hardgroove, Blueprint and Beard Man.

Robert Hood opens the release with ‘Shadows’. It’s classic Hood with a modern twist, as the minimal techno master segues between a tough line and delicate bells. Next, Ben Sims infuses ‘Xotnuc’ with all the upbeat energy and tech-funk he brings to his skilful DJ sets. James Ruskin then steps up, bringing a dizzying experimental edge to ‘There Was A Time’ that’s championed 25 years of his Blueprint label. Last but definitely not least is the UK techno icon, Mark Broom. ‘The Three Swords’ builds with a beautiful precision that will make you yearn for the dance floor even harder.

The second EP featuring four electro tracks follows in June, with the third, house EP in July. The compilation ‘EPM20’ will follow after the summer.

In these dark times of Covid we still have our music. We have the sounds to soothe us, distract and take our minds away from the chaos and uncertainty.
We can't dance like we used to but we can hear and feel. Our release must be found in another way, we must look within. We find solace and grant ourselves space and time in the music.

Sam McQueen (Indio co-producer with John Beltran, Indigo Aera, Delsin Records, Furthur Electronix) presents his debut album Dreams In Sepia for Mojuba sub label a.r.t.less and hits us with a real time soundscape of the moment, an epic-like document of these times. The rhythms are subtle, sometimes broken, the time structures often complex, this is not primarily dance floor orientated music. These sounds are way more cerebral, for the heads. They reflect perfectly the complexities of life we are experiencing in 2020.

The edges are rounded with occasional strolling bass lines and comfy chords. Slabs of keys and spaced out female vocals like a psychedelic journey that scares you at first yet comforts you soon after. Sam McQueen's mediatory sounds give an overwhelming sense of the moment. The music makes you take time out and listen. Its purposeful manner suggests there are more hours in the day, like time slowing down a pause, like the sun slithering slowly behind the horizon. These are sunset sounds for dark back-rooms.

Daytime or night, it works. This is the soundtrack for the other room, the deeper sounds not designed to make you dance. This music doesn't get in your face, it creeps up and smacks you on the ass. There are elements of early nineties UK Techno, a warmth and delicateness that pervades a distinct lack of four four dance floor in the beat structures, a softer tone throughout than the harder Detroit techno sounds of the same era but still nods and acknowledgements to the D in the layout and way the sounds present themselves. Think John Beltran, Symbols and Instruments, Black Dog or Kirk DeGiorgio, mid 90s Berlin sounds from Basic Channel / Rhythm & Sound, but in lockdown. Music for today's modern lacking landscape. The sounds often familiar, analogue, the drums, hi hats and snares, shimmer, jazz style. They accentuate and push the rest of the elements around them.
?In a bygone era this would be crudely classed as Chill Out music. In 2020 Covid era its about how it makes you feel as you relax and really listen to it. It is about emotion and empathy, a oneness, a new unknown and a deeper train of thought for the listener. Much like 2020, Sam McQueen lays the pieces round the edge of the jigsaw and lets you fill in the rest.

After a first release on CPU Records last year, the Montreal and Lahti-based duo is back with a new EP on WeMe Records. Hexamer Recon comprises six tracks of hard-hitting, acid-tinged live jams recorded in Montreal earlier this year.

"Bills past due, what you gon do?"

2lanes is part of the latest resurgence in Detroit's techno underground whose infamy is built via amorphous live appearances / DJ sets, collaborations with contemporaries like AceMo and John F.M., and a steady, hilarious and blunt presence on Twitter. PGS is proud to present 2lane’s 2nd piece of wax, the AA side "Baby's Born To Fish'' / "Impish Desires'' following the "Giving & Receiving" EP on NYC's Ceramic Records, February 2020.

2 Lanes first appeared in Detroit ~six years ago and quickly made a name for himself in the local scene, promoting shows with international artists and friends from NYC, all while making an effort to respect the city's unique musical identity and history. He carries the tradition of Detroit's electronic pioneers who pursued new ideas in production and gear, bringing perfection to the craft, and developing unique twists in his process.

Participating in the contemporary electronic music world required splitting your time between 2 places at once: Online, always-on, in constant engagement with friends + foe alike; In Real Life, physically traveling city to city, DJing and collaborating, all while maintaining a sense of self. And now, all that's different.

"Lately, I've been, going, going through some changes"

Releasing a club-ready 12" in the midst of a global pandemic? That's the 2 Lanes. We heard an earlier version of "Baby's Born 2 Fish" what feels like 10 years ago, rinsing "Impish Desires" when there were still gigs. Do you remember the Apollo Masters plant fire in early February? How long were pressing plants closed, again? How long have we been living in this new reality? 2lanes hopes that the messages of this music; fear, isolation, friendship, love and how we exist at this intersection comes through for the listener.

"Baby's Born To Fish" / "Impish Desires" is a heavy hitting AA side, rejuvenating, explosive, off your face. They're ready for the eventual return 2 the dance floor, and sooner for your streaming DJ set. We don't know when we can see you IRL, but we know it'll be in mixes for decades to come.

"You’re gonna cast your reel out and you don’t know if you’re gonna get a fish that day, but you’re still gonna cast it out." - 2 Lanes

Biz's Set Me Free EP is an adventurous and personal exploration of techno which is composed for the dance floor but also sparks the heart. The grinding grooves of opener 'Set Me Free' immediately shows a pairing of a tough mentality with a supreme sense of soul. The exquisite 'Don't Stop' builds with an enthralling techno tension that finally lets up and will immerse the listener in liberation. Last but not least 'Autumn Blues', a perfectly melancholic journey through deeper techno that lifts the spirits with optimistic synths.

An absolutely georgous 12" by Orlando Voorn under his Baruka moniker focusing on ambient house / IDM and downtempo, think of the heyday of Black Dog, New Electronica, Artificial Intelligence, and Fat Cat Records shop, with Orlando's touch. And a truly delicious acid line on Circles.

First released in 1994 and remastered for the 21st century.

Despite the fact that we are all still hanging in there, 2021 kicks in heavy in style for CHILDHOOD with a killer 4-tracker 12" release by DON WILLIAMS. Thomas and I met a while ago on a dancefloor, however our friendship sealed for good when we met online playing endless Splatoon sessions on Nintendo Switch. Our common interest in a broad range of things and music in particular led to a deep exchange of ideas when it comes to the love for the vinyl product. Having started the label last year with DJ DEEPs VAINCRE EP, I can surely state that Thomas was kind of a mentor and of countless help when it comes to setting things up. I therefore couldn't be happier and more thankful to welcome him to the CHILDHOOD family with BLITHE SPIRIT, a true masterclass EP ranging from experimental and complex rhythms, over driving dancefloor madness to soulful early morning ecstasy cuts. The first 100 copies come in marbled red vinyl. Be sure to grab a copy and while listening to it at home, having in mind that these grooves will tear dancefloors apart in a not so distant future. WE SHALL DANCE TOGETHER! - David Muallem

First EP on WeMe Records with a four track EP from outer space after releasing 2 lp on Analogical Force. The combination of lush pads, acid basslines and intricate rhythms, thick flushes of sub-bass conjure up memories of 90's Technoid funk and Rephlex era upbeat contortions. Compuphonic flirts with dancefloor from imagined science fiction future set in Detroit.

Deep, Detroit influenced techno.

Crafted in the middle of pandemic times and world chaos.

Gregorio Soave and 4NiQ bring an interesting split compilation of tracks that translate into isolation, meditation and the hope for social awakening.

From complex patterns of Soave’s modular setup to the emotional and rumbling mind of 4NiQ straight raw techno and minimalistic sounds.

Hope this one can have a special place in your collection.

Part one of two EP release on Transmat. New artist from Detroit!

Hiroshi Watanabe does not hold back on Threshold of Eternity EP. The Leonids Strings is a deeply emotional and delicate string arrangement that leaves the listener beauty struck and in awe. Into the Memory is a dance floor banger which holds true to Watanabe's exquisite skill as a techno producer. The release contains a beautiful balance between groove and beauty which is rarely present in a techno record. The cover photography is a photo by Watanabe himself of his hometown Tokyo.

12" w/ color jacket. The 3rd and final series of 12": EXHIBITIONIST 2 part 3. The recordings are made during the live performance in Leiden, Netherlands on 21st February 2015.

Ltd White Vinyl Gatefold edition + 32 Page Booklet + Download Code

The LP contains original compositions by Ryuichi Sakamoto, Pascal Comelade, Laurie Spiegel, Lyra Pramuk, Chassol, Nicolas Godin and Pierre Rousseau, Pedro Vian and Pierre Bastien, Visible Cloaks, Kelman Duran, Raul Refree, Lucrecia Dalt, Lafawndah.

+ a booklet with writings by contemporary thinkers like Shumon Basar, François J. Bonnet, and pictures by, Araki, Juergen Teller, Elizaveta Porodina, Dani Pujalte, P Jack Davison, Zhong Lin, Alessandra Sanguinetti, Adrià Cañameras, Javier Tles among others. Lacquer cut by Josh Bonati & Mastered by Rashad Becker

'PRSNT' is a unique global artistic project combining the input of artists across the worlds of music, video and written word which acts as a statement on how we, as consumers, engage with music in the 21st century. Vital electronic musicians including Ryuichi Sakamoto, Lafawndah, Lyra Pramuk, Lucrecia Dalt and Visible Cloaks have each contributed tracks, which are approximately 32 seconds long.

The concept was devised by Created By Us and the Barcelona-based label Modern Obscure Music. They read a study which identified that the overwhelming volume of instantly accessible information online is shortening attention spans and altering how audiences engage with music digitally. Their curiosity about the state of online consumption developed further on discovering that around a third of all listeners using digital platforms skip to the next track, within the first 30 seconds of playing.

Each musician was given a fascinating challenge to create engaging compositions with real artistic merit, inside the confines of this shortened span. Akin to Brian Eno's famous Windows 95 start-up music, the time constraints are crucial, and the compositions are deceptively complex and more substantial than expectations of their nano nature would suggest.

'PRSNT' acts as a critique of flighty feed culture, but is simultaneously constructive, providing something which is either proposed solution, or "if you can't beat 'em join 'em" resignation. Every artist has interpreted the brief differently, resulting in an intriguing blueprint for the potential future of digital music. Could abbreviated micro compositions satisfy, inspire and nourish like their longer counterparts? They certainly take up much less of listeners' busy lives, which are often spent tackling ever-increasing workloads.

After his first release on Soundtravels, the Flight EP ST004, Orlando is back with a straight forward techno banger. Three powerful and energetic floorfillers drenched in typical Voorn funkyness. Classic material again and a musthave for all you Detroit technofans out there.

the moment we have waited so long to put this material in physical form has finally come! we honestly dont know much about this guy, but one sure thing is that we been instantly amazed by quality, skills and variety of his music (and quantity too..he filled our pockets with more than 100 unreleased tracks in few days!). not really a common thing. we are really thrilled and excited so to give light and to present this to you. a mixture of styles, visions, messages, speeds, emotions and structures that make his touch and this record an absolute pearl for us. it will be a long and strong relation with this mind we assume!

Esteban Adame aka Frequencia drops the track list for an intergalactic backyard party with the Chicano Boombox EP. Esteban’s music career started as a DJ in L.A.’s East Side backyard party scene, he then stepped up his musical game by collecting gear and studying the piano. His evolution into a professional musician led him to gigs around L.A.’s jazz and salsa scenes. But he never lost his love for DJ culture and electronic music and that led him to join Mad Mike’s Galaxy 2 Galaxy band through his mutual friendships with UR’s Santiago Salazar and Yaxteq’s own DJ Dex. He’s released music on esteemed labels such as Underground Quality, Dolly, Mister Saturday Night, EPM, Jealous God and more. He also collaborates with DJ Dex as El Coyote.

“Rush The Floor” makes you want to do just that with its hypnotic lead synth and a breakdown that will leave the dancefloor wanting more. “Deep Function” flexes musical chops via soulful chords and a perfectly timed solo all riding over a thumping house beat. “Still Here” recalls classic Detroit Techno methodology as a reminder to keep the inspiration flowing. The EP is rounded out with “The Promise” a driving yet euphoric track perfect for watching the sunrise after a long night.

Five dazzling remixes of Population One's 'Hippnotic Culture' 2LP by the Detroit minimalist himself. Kicking off with a 20th Anniversary Mix of 'Rush Hour', the track that inspired our company name! Big big tip and a great honor... Play it loud!
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Population One, also known as Terrence Dixon, offered a first remix of his mysterious, minimal Detroit track 'Rush Hour' for the celebration of the label's 10th anniversary and now blesses us with new takes on five 'Hippnotic Culture' album tracks. The impressive 'Hippnotic Culture' LP was originally released in 1995 on the long defunct Utensil label, which was run by Claude Young.

+313 CALLING YOU - Special inside out cut. - May the force be with you.

Carl Craig has announced Detroit native and hotlytipped selector DJ Holographic is next in-line for his prestigious 'Detroit Love' mix compilation series dropping on Planet E Communications. Following in the footsteps of predecessors like Stacey Pullen and Wajeed, being invited to mix vol.05 of the series is testament to DJ Holographic being one of Detroit's most anticipated breakthrough DJ's. Born and raised in the Motor City's deep musical legacy, Ariel Corley aka DJ Holographic is an ambassador for Detroit through and through. Having cut her teeth as a DJ in the local scene over the past decade DJ Holographic is admired for her versatility, eclecticism, and impeccable taste. Ariel has firmly established herself as a staple of Detroit's modern underground scene, a core member of the city's LGBQT+ community and a devoted activist for local humanitarian causes - love for Detroit underpins every element of Ariel Corley's life. Released 16th April via Planet E and K7!, Detroit Love Vol. 05 is packed to the brim with exclusive tracks handpicked by DJ Holographic who takes the listener through a vibrant and flawlessly-mixed showcase of breakthrough artists, ones to watch, and longestablished artists Ariel has a personal affiliation to. The mix was curated by DJ Holographic at the artist creative hub below Submerge Records in Detroit - home to labels such as Underground Resistance, Transmat, Red Planet, and Distorted Soul.

After Edge of reality from DVLVCRVZ, Jupiter4 continue the Texas-Berlin connection signing DJ Akoza, owner of legendary DOOMSHOP records and known for being one of the sharpest beat makers on the scene right now. DOG U OUT EP is a remastered selection from recent works of the artist combined with 3 dance club music remixes from Cyan85, DJ Normal 4 and MUTANT JOE that goes from Electro, Detroit bass to Breaks and Jungle.

With no need for further introduction, the legendary Cleveland and now Berlin based producer Dan Curtin lands on Fabio Della Torre's Tuscan label Bosconi with 2 previously unreleased gems from his 90's DAT archive. The release is further enriched by Curtin's very first live rework of one of the tunes. After Releasing on such labels as Headspace, 7th Sign, and Sublime and with the recent repress of his historic Silicon Dawn album on Peacefrog including the supremely modern Population 2, here comes the previously unreleased Population III which moves even more forward into the outer realms of space and time. On the long side the farsighted and futuristic Metamorphic label boss delivers this marvelous continuation of the previous version taking it more into straight forward techno and even further into deep minded synth experimentation and acid bleeping. On the Flip we have a modern live rework of Population III which Dan has been playing around the world in his current live set. The live version goes a bit more into electroid landscapes but still maintains a straight groove for electro and techno purists most playful moments. The third cut is the epic acid banger and previously unreleased Redshift, showing already at those times that Dan Curtin was defying conventions and pushing boundaries and pioneering what we can now consider modern dance music while displaying melting innovation and deeply felt emotional content at the same time.

Glorious and epic two tracker vinyl for Bosconi Records, this time by our favourite Detroit techno duo The Oliverwho Factory. We used to be big fans of their Madd Chaise works andlatest Rush Hour and Planet E were awesome, but that percussive sound was different from what we knew from their past. We wanted them to give another chance to their more jacked out musical side in memory of the two masterpieces (and Bosconi Soundsytem Favourite waxes) those were "The Rhythm"

The potential benefits of Barnaerobics are meant to enhance aerobic fit-ness performance for raver squad through audio nurturing.

Rave sport players are suspected to spend the majority of their time involved in high powered audio activity. To this stimulation Barnaerobics prescribes diverse involuntary movement. For this reason we have put together 3 of our favourite couches from different international teams around the globe.

in side A we have DJ KARAWAI
Side A: Made for doing active night drive sports such as dancing, suitable to ski in indoor & outdoors locations. Side A's Light Northern Sport touches the spots in your Core where electro meets health and daydream meets happiness.

for the side B we got dears: MOODRICH & SKETCHY
Side B: Favourite of all spinning trainers in North America, the side B of Barnaerobics is the ideal springboard to high-risk high-reward sports such getting a GF, BF, rafting, puenting etc

join the trance as soft juke sounds lift your body into high intensity training sessions to inspire vigorous sets of sexuality!

180 grams of a regular 12" during 30 minutes day is the perfect training to get your soul fit into vibes within 2021.

As the title subtly suggest, this has to be played LOUD! And it the recent days, the title tune (that FX mix) has been played recently by the usual suspects. A classic and strong 12" by Orlando Voorn under his Baruka moniker focusing on twisted funky Detroit Techno sound with his special signature. A colorful release.
First released in 1994 and remastered for the 21st century.

Second part in the Rolando Simmons summer excursions series (you may remember AF019.1, 2018). The swedish is back to Analogical Force in dark days to light the way. Playful modern electronics with enough melody and invention to stimulate your cortex and an almost whistful nostalgic yearning. Hope! fire is burning, flag is flying.

Mutual fans Sherard Ingram and Mariska Neerman join forces to present four essential tracks spanning the breadth of contemporary electro on this second release from Bleep43 Recordings. The first side sees Ingram exploring the edges of his famously unique blend of intricate yet relentless electronics, simultaneously touching on Autechre's metallic abstractions while sounding the depths of bubbling oceanic vents. Mariska answers with two tracks of melancholy machine music that embody her talent for melody and arrangement and promise to make their presence felt on dancefloors across the spectrum.

The always-innovative John Beltran surprises us with his first release on a Romanian label. The circularity of Energy Circle, the beauty of The Cycles EP, sets a typically Beltran soundscape, a melodic mood for this three-pieced beauty. The Sun Also Rises on the flip side, making it the rather bright beast of the release, while the marching B2 – Going Uphill Fast (hope on the horizon) — is a granular techno classic, closing Eufonic Records' first release on a very Detroit note.

Detroit’s John Beltran is back in fine style, limited copies..

Following up to his debut mini-album “Antennen” issued last year on Noorden, fellow Cologne-based producer Panta Rex returns to the label with “Lefty”, his sophomore three-track delivery which finds him scoping out the confines between photophobic modular techno, subsheavy traction and AI-operated melodicism.

True to the intricate engineering of his first compositions, Panta Rex expands his sonic logos to even broader horizons of -altered- functionality. Most definitely a piece of club-oriented abstr-activism though offering vaster sequences and audio expanses to perambulate your mind within, “Lefty” is a mille-feuille of textural ambiguities, secret rooms and corridors – piecing together galloping dynamics with bleepy opaqueness as it leaves your mind out of focus all the way through to a steely, slo-burning yet highly choreographic finale.

Veering off to a more aqueous, dubby state of mind, B1 “Swerve” draws the loud, muffled kicks and FX-drenched synth stabs for a much immersive ride in the deep, shrouded in organic envelopes and overlapping layers of intriguing sonic minutiae. Closing cut “Dizz” wraps it up on a more breaksy note with its contrasted ballet of wistful strings, sliced-and-diced drumwork and dissonant chimes opening us to a heightened, 90s-informed apex of sorts, where Panta Rex’s subtle touch and widescreen vision bloom all the more unreservedly.

Co-Accused kick things off on their label with sonic grooves from another galaxy! The title track ‘Psychonaut Society’ sends you on a deep space exploration of electro with driving, Detroit dreaminess. The Jensen Interceptor remix is a darker trip with wicked drums and sinister synth work. On the flip side it’s a sonic assault with ‘Wormhole Warzone’ taking you on a hypnotic relentless techno journey. ‘Restricted Access’ closes off the EP with futuristic electro funk that will have you dislocating hips on the dance floor!

All tracks played by Dave Clarke giving it the Baron stamp of approval

LIMITED Transparent Blue 12" Limited

Much talked about project, now release is finally coming into fruition. Morphology approached Exalt with the idea of releasing one of their tracks. Roll forward a year and this 4 track EP comes with 2 brand new original Morphology tracks and stellar remixes from John Shima and B12 legend Steven Rutter.

Vinyl Only. Grad_U again with a masterpiece of dub techno. Music speaks for itself.

REDSCALE 07 - attack / decay. The forgotten treasures. Two heavyweight cuts by grad_u. These gems were recorded on reel to reel tape back in the days, shelved for years.. Accidentally discovered after relocating to new studio premises. The Redscale mission of delivering stellar dubtechno continues.

Limited repress on black 12" vinyl, 180 gram and in matt black cover.

Excited and happy as a banana can be