MIXES

CU TECHNO

techno

Szymon@Afterclub The Kings 31-01-2010

AYDN // Basis Talent Night Mix Submission

AYDN is a British techno artist and producer based in Manchester, UK. Born and raised in the North West of England, he found himself at the heart of the British hard techno scene from a young age. As for many other northern artists, his journey began within that sphere. AYDN rapidly made a name for himself, having played both internationally and in support of some of the biggest names in hard techno including Lorenzo Raganzini and Paolo Ferrara. In 2025, he played in support of Boiler Room at the iconic Sheffield venue Hope Works.

Despite his success in securing a solid start for himself in the highly oversaturated world of hard techno, AYDN struggled with artistic frustration. He felt that he had drifted too far away from his authentic underground sound and lost a key part of his sonic identity as a result of chasing trends. This led him to one of the most important decisions in his career, where most artists lack both the boldness and courage in doing; re-inventing himself. 

After exiting the commercial hard techno scene, AYDN redirected his attention from the music executives sat in boardrooms to the crowd. Not only did his silent act of defiance show immense respect for his own craft and genuine demonstration of artistic authenticity, but also his vision to take people on a sonic journey with his sets and his productions. Offering up his selection of deep grooves, spacial warps and euphoric atmosphere, AYDN takes his sound to a place of unstoppable, driving energy. 

In his own production, he encourages the listener to look deeper into themselves, feel empowered and catalyse movement. AYDN's sets take this even further; they fall between the borders of surgical precision and experimental voyage. His instinct and analysis guide every precise adjustment, refining the carefully constructed experience.

ADHESIVE ID.001 /AYDN

Read the interview https://change-underground.com/cu-techno-02-hydratek/

Milan’s underground has long been a breeding ground for innovation, but few artists have approached techno with the forensic precision and narrative intent of HydraTek, the alias of Italian producer and sound designer Fabio Gotti.

Once known for cinematic bass music that fused post-dubstep with filmic ambience, HydraTek now channels that same storytelling instinct into a darker, hypnotic strain of techno designed to move both body and mind.

“I’m constantly evolving as an artist,” he says. “Genres are just tools for expressing emotion. Techno became my gravitational centre - it’s where my fascination with dark tones, cinematic storytelling and sound design all align.” That transformation wasn’t abrupt; it grew organically from earlier experiments in ambient and bass-heavy soundscapes. “What I once called ‘Cinematic Bass Music’ was my hybrid of post-dubstep and neurofunk D&B,” he explains. “That kaleidoscopic background still defines me - I see music, like all art, as a beautiful contamination of patterns and ideas.”

The Italian connection runs deep. While HydraTek’s technical discipline nods to the UK’s underground, the passion and drama that define his productions feel distinctly Mediterranean. “There’s a natural intensity and emotional depth in Italian art and design,” he says. “It inevitably filters into my music.”

TRACKLIST:

Ignez - Immersion
ANNĒ - Floating Waves
Scheermann - Viciosa
Ned - Tree Undead Sexy Fire
Marco Faraone - My Zone
DJ Dextro - Suplemento
Regal - Still Raving
BEC - Flow LFO
Exos - Voices Of Vulcano
Ignez/Rødhåd - Vermillion 01
ANNĒ - Sibia
Nørbak - Mudo
Nørbak - Adeus
Perc - Full Goblin (Mac Declos Remix)
Hyden - Manifest Content
DJ Dextro - Last Civilization
Hemka - The Bad Place
Nørbak - Arcada
Ignez - Anahata
Hertz - Timballe
Deas - Track Zero
Mik&Ale - Optimizer
Dusk Poem - Expand
Alarico - One More
Mosess - Sinners
Maälgabeskij - Neon Venus
Rosa Anschütz - Rigid (Kobosil 44 Rush Mix)

Interview

CU TECHNO 02 | HydraTek

Read the full interview on CU https://change-underground.com/gray-cosmo-cu-techno-03/

Great art often emerges from the union of opposites, where differences collide to create something truly unique. For Gray Cosmo, a Turin-based techno duo, this dynamic is at the core of their music. Alex and Andrea met in 2021 - not through music, but on the tennis courts. “We bonded over music before we even shared a studio,” they recall. That spontaneous connection grew into curiosity, experimentation, and eventually a sound that felt uniquely theirs.

Alex, a classically trained pianist, brings precision and harmony, while Andrea, a seasoned DJ from Turin’s underground scene, contributes raw energy and instinct. “Our contrast is our strength: one brings structure and harmony, the other brings instinct and raw energy. The balance between the two creates the identity of Gray Cosmo.”

The duo’s name reflects the environment of their earliest sessions. Turin’s grey winters, cold and cinematic, naturally seep into their sound, giving their tracks a subtle undercurrent of melancholy. Their music is a careful blend of emotive melodies and kinetic rhythms, guided entirely by studio intuition. “Some ideas demand space and introspection; others naturally push toward movement and tension,” they explain.

CU TECHNO 03 | Gray Cosmo

Read the full feature on CU https://change-underground.com/nekrohard-cu-techno-04/

In a Barcelona home pulsing with the early sounds of DJ Sisu, Dany BPM, and Javi Boss, a young Nekrohard learned that intensity in music is more than volume.
“Those artists were literally the soundtrack of my home… Sisu taught me feeling within electronic music, Dany BPM the power of clear, addictive rhythm, and Javi Boss that intensity that breaks through walls,” he recalls. The lessons were subtle but profound: rhythm, emotion, and narrative could hit harder than any speaker. It was the foundation for a lifetime obsession with sound.Portable speakers

His first experiments with transforming feeling into music came through a childhood rap group. Vulnerability became rhythm, and words became release. “It was my first school of artistic honesty… there is no sound without emotion behind it,” he reflects. Life, however, had other plans. Responsibilities, work, and study pulled him away from music. The obsession became a memory, dormant yet unbroken.

CU TECHNO 04 | Nekrohard

Full interview and track list https://change-underground.com/aydn-cu-techno-05/


The path into techno rarely begins quietly, and for AYDN it opened with a jolt inside Manchester’s Hidden. He can still picture the exact lineup. Holeigh. Kander while still a duo. Viper Diva in full euphoric stride. The night altered his sense of what music could do. The drums hit with intent, the synth work felt unnervingly alien, and the atmosphere carried a charge he had never experienced. That collision of energy marked the starting point. A new chapter, as AYDN frames it, began the moment he walked out of that room.

From there he became a familiar face inside the Northwestern underground. Nights run by HOL, Blasha, and the Meat Free collective gave him a clear view of techno as something larger than a set of stylistic codes. The impact came from unity and presence. People dropped their guard. The room acted as a single organism. That environment taught him immersion long before he ever produced a track.

Tracklist

CU TECHNO 05 | AYDN

Read the full article on get the tracklist on CU https://change-underground.com/chole-cu-techno-06/

Ōtautahi, New Zealand might not be the first city that comes to mind when thinking of hard-hitting techno, but for Chole, always been fertile ground.

Growing up in the 03, Chole was immersed in a vibrant arts community that encouraged exploration. Classical instruments at seven taught her the structures and theory behind music, laying a foundation that would later underpin her pulsing, 4x4-driven sets. “Music is a beautiful blackhole, possibilities are infinite,” she reflects, crediting her early training with giving her a vocabulary to articulate sound.

Her introduction to hard techno came almost by accident during her time in Dunedin in 2023. A friend recommended a Lily Palmer set recorded live at the European Space Agency for Drumcode Radio, and for Chole, it was a revelation. “It was so new to us, we had never heard anything like it in New Zealand, and that was it, there was no going back.” The discovery ignited a passion that would quickly propel her from bedroom DJing to festival stages.

CU TECHNO 06 CHOLE

Repost and premiere applications https://change-underground.com/repost-dj-promo-and-premiere-request/

Change Underground (CU) is an independent dance music platform dedicated to uncovering the next generation of underground electronic artists and amplifying voices often overlooked by mainstream media.

Founded in 2013, CU emerged as a response to elitism and corporatisation in the global dance music industry. Our goal has always been simple: create a space where emerging DJs, producers, and labels can be discovered, celebrated, and critiqued with fairness, transparency, and insight.

Over the past decade, CU has established itself as the go-to independent dance music platform for exclusive premieres, artist interviews, in-depth reviews, and analytical commentary on global club culture. From techno and house to experimental electronic subgenres, CU provides a comprehensive lens on the sounds shaping the underground scene today.

Our editorial mission goes beyond music: we are committed to ethical journalism, cultural inclusivity, and social accountability within the dance community. By shining a light on both the creative and systemic aspects of electronic music, CU ensures that artists, promoters, and audiences remain informed and connected.

CU also functions as a barometer for the global underground, highlighting emerging trends, socially conscious movements, and innovative artistic practices. By supporting CU, PRs, labels, and agencies align themselves with a platform that represents integrity, independence, and influence in electronic music media.

Through our curated content, CU connects listeners to artists’ stories, labels’ missions, and scenes worldwide. Whether it’s vinyl-only techno releases, Berlin warehouse culture, or next-generation DJ talent, CU gives audiences a trustworthy source for discovery, while offering artists and industry professionals visibility and credibility.

As the leading independent dance music platform, CU continues to define what responsible, informed, and progressive electronic music journalism looks like. Our commitment is to preserve the spirit of the underground while providing a hub where innovation, diversity, and dialogue can flourish.

CU TECHNO 05 | AYDN

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