The Arsonists & The Architect

FLAC Download Available ::: Tracklist https://www.eric-cloutier.com/episodes/03-dyschronometria
"Focus Shifting" by Tilman Zitzmann : http://www.geometrydaily.com

The ideology of hypnotic techno was these swirling, trance-like arrangements and steady evolutions and peaks of every track, but most importantly a sense of time dilation was the ultimate goal. Sucking people into a vortex of sound, historically these cuts were all pushing into the eight-minute realm and were meant to be layered in long, delicate sections. There’s a massive crossover in sound palettes to this and the Undulate mix, just in a 4/4 structure, though the entire style became a predictable mess over overused formant filters and an overindulgence of the VST Omnisphere. At times driving, at others calming, yet never letting up from a focus of sucking you in, mix three of “The Arsonist & The Architect” is about Dyschronometria or “distorted perception of time.”

The Arsonist & The Architect

The Arsonist & The Architect : 03 Dyschronometria

FLAC Download Available ::: Tracklist https://www.eric-cloutier.com/episodes/04-supine
"Balance" by Tilman Zitzmann : http://www.geometrydaily.com

Taking a step back is a prerequisite to making sure your longevity in this scene remains sturdy and grounded. Everyone should push pause once and a while, relaxing their ears and minds before returning to the crucible. I’m no stranger to ambient musings, and this last year and a half I’ve spent countless hours listening to calming music, but for this, I felt a more appropriate applique would be the descriptor of side-rooms of yesteryear. Brooding, pensive, at times rhythmic, and best enjoyed with headphones, number four in “The Arsonists & The Architect” is all about the chillout room.

The Arsonist and The Architect

The Arsonist & The Architect : 04 Supine

FLAC Download Available ::: Tracklist available here : https://www.eric-cloutier.com/episodes/01-undulate
"Smaug" by Tilman Zitzmann : www.geometrydaily.com

While not a category I’ve really seen anyone else apply to this sound, for me, it’s the first word that comes to my mind when I hear these uneven, pulsating, off-kilter complexities that this entire mix is comprised of. There’s confusing time signatures, wonky percussion, entrancing pads and synths, and a rhythm structure that sometimes breaks itself before it comes back together. To say this mix was a challenge to construct is an understatement, but I’m exceptionally pleased with the result. Succumb to a tidal wave of rhythmic hypnosis with mix one of “The Arsonist & The Architect” - Undulate.

The Arsonist & The Architect : 01 Undulate

FLAC Download Available ::: Tracklist https://www.eric-cloutier.com/episodes/02-vespertine
"Allignment" by Tilman Zitzmann : www.geometrydaily.com

The moments before the sun drops below the horizon are unique. A sense of mystery and of the supernatural descend upon the surroundings and you can’t help but notice the electricity in the ether. Such transitional moments in an open-air party environment are pristine opportunities to turn the revelry into a bacchanal. Envisioning the fog rolling in as the sun disappears while playing for an audience clearly open for a journey, this mix begins as daytime party vibes but becomes a tribal warehouse by the close, edition two of “The Arsonist & The Architect” lets night fall - Vespertine.

The Arsonist & The Architect : 02 Vespertine

FLAC Download Available ::: Tracklist https://www.eric-cloutier.com/episodes/05-influence
"A Moon Year" by Tilman Zitzmann : http://www.geometrydaily.com

Detroit means a lot to the techno world. At a point in time, it launched an entirely new genre. As a place, it birthed an entirely new cultural phenomenon. But as a genre, it has a unique and highly discernable sound that has touched every corner of the planet, giving an immeasurable amount of producers inspiration to their creativity and a formula they’ve looked to emulate. Mix five for “The Arsonist & The Architect” spins the concept on its head slightly - this entire mix is dedicated to the place I grew up in and that helped me cut my teeth as a DJ. I’ve constructed the session without a single Detroit artist - only those that are from abroad and were inspired by the sound this city gave to the world. “Influence” is about what Detroit did to techno on a global scale.

The Arsonist & The Architect : 05 Influence

FLAC Download Available ::: Tracklist www.eric-cloutier.com/episodes/06-chicane
"We Come In Peace" by Tilman Zitzmann : www.geometrydaily.com

An infectious groove is one of the most important elements to everything I purchase and play. Closed eyes, a swaying motion in the hips, a looseness of the shoulders, and a polyrhythmic shuffle to the feet - these are the signs that the audience has checked themselves out of the present and gone to nirvana. It would be a lie to say that I don’t gravitate towards the trance elements, the shuffling drums, and the structured basslines - 20yrs of my recordings that have been floating around the internet would prove that to be a paramount character of everything I present to the audience. So with this mix, I wanted to encapsulate all the wiggling and swerving that I encourage my crowd to have with this upbeat, tripping, energetic mix of vibes I’ve amassed over time. Time to get twisty with episode six of “The Arsonist & The Architect,” appropriately titled “Chicane.”

The Arsonist & The Architect : 06 Chicane

FLAC Download Available ::: Tracklist www.eric-cloutier.com/episodes/07-amaranthine
"Inward" by Tilman Zitzmann : www.geometrydaily.com

One facet of a successful set is that of relentless forward momentum. Never giving pause to catch your breath, rest your feet, or exit the hysteria of the moment, the wormhole widens and the vortex sucks all into its pull. There’s no better vehicle for this kind of traversal of time and space than acid jams. Both sides of the aisle are equally appropriate - the driving power of techno mixed with the bounce and weave of house marry perfectly here. The Roland Corporation created a bouquet of equipment that, individually, sung their own parts, but working as a team create a mesmerizing torpedo of caustic, hedonistic funk. This edition of “The Arsonist & The Architect” comes from the depths of the warehouses that I initially found myself in back in Detroit. Packard, Bankle, Griswold, The Chop Shop, Mack & Bellevue, under the Ambassador Bridge - there are countless spaces I lost my mind in while learning a thing (or 303), so here’s my homage to the maelstrom that is my introduction point, “Amaranthine.”

The Arsonist & The Architect : 07 Amaranthine

FLAC Download Available ::: Tracklist www.eric-cloutier.com/episodes/08-tectonic
"Orbits" by Tilman Zitzmann : www.geometrydaily.com

Dub could easily be described as the Occam’s Razor of the techno universe - sometimes the simplest creation is the most functional one. It takes an immeasurable amount of time to successfully get this to sound pristine, particularly when cutting to wax, but the dedication and patience needed to transcribe these blankets of sound from studio to lathe properly is a meritorious endeavor. It should come as no surprise that number eight of “The Arsonist & The Architect” is focused on a sound that I’ve championed for years. This one is headphone-focused as no laptop speaker will do these sub frequencies justice. A blanket of swelling chords, a warm bath of bass bliss, and just the right amount of surface noise and tape hiss to subconsciously melt away time and space - “Tectonic” is here to build worlds in your mind.

The Arsonist & The Architect : 08 Tectonic

FLAC Download Available ::: Tracklist www.eric-cloutier.com/episodes/09-panacea
"Materialize" by Tilman Zitzmann : www.geometrydaily.com

Legendary sessions happen without planning or precognition. They almost always are the after-hours or transitional shifts when audiences are at their loosest, bordering on heading home and calling it quits. Keeping them engaged and really turning their brains to putty is an art in and of itself. Those waning hours, when energy and audience are both dwindling, calls for a keen sense of shamanistic guidance as well as an educated record bag full of rollers and percussive grooves. Progressive as a descriptor will elicit eye-rolls from some, winces of pain from others, yet it is impossible to deny the elevated state one can invoke when presented artfully in the proper context. As we near the end of “The Arsonist & The Architect” as a series, it’s worth giving the faithful followers something to cure all that ails them, resolve all their worries, and make their post-party a memorable one. Herein lies your “Panacea.”

The Arsonist & The Architect : 09 Panacea

FLAC Download Available ::: Tracklist www.eric-cloutier.com/episodes/10-fulcrum
"Firebird" by Tilman Zitzmann : www.geometrydaily.com

Some call it hardgroove, most call it tribal, but in the end, it’s this type of percussive and energetic techno that runs through my veins. Heavily reliant on its loop structure, layering for extended periods and quick mixing are keys to mastery of the style. Dominated by a smattering of Todd Terry loops, deft reinterpretations of disco tracks, and a strong reliance on the track “Bubble” by Tikkel, there are similarities abound in this genre, but the artform of it all comes when stitching them together in a high-octane yet coherent way. Ebbs and flows, calculated drops, and a freight train of basslines and stabs, this is a powerhouse way to see the end of my series out the door. The balance to all of these recordings - and my music career - is this “Fulcrum.”

The Arsonist & The Architect : 10 Fulcrum

Detroit Born, Berlin Based
Tresor / Globus Resident DJ

A self-described "record digging psychopath," Eric Cloutier’s standards are representative of the pre-social media craze and arguably the old adage of letting music speak for itself. Cloutier’s twenty-plus year commitment has been built upon his integrity as a DJ and authority as a selector. His reputation as an unequivocal, dexterous force is increasingly becoming one of note. He’s a DJ for whom quality - above all else - is the watchword.

The Arsonists & The Architect

Eric Cloutier || Palinoia