Burning Through Blue 691_mix

Franck Becker - Midnight Drive EP - Naked Lunch 398

beatport : https://www.beatport.com/release/midnight-drive-ep/1997976
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Franck Becker - Midnight Drive - Naked Lunch 398

After an excellent performance at Drumcode Festival, Tiger Stripes comes strong with his first EP on the label since 2009.

Since 2015 Tiger Stripes has been an invaluable contributor to Drumcode’s ‘little brother’ Truesoul. As recent as March he released ‘Sound of the Bettest’ in collaboration with Riva Starr, their fresh raggainfluenced take on techno entrenched as a 2018 highlight for the label. Drawing from a wide palette of sounds to craft his groovy, personality-laden take on techno, the Swede has produced arguably his finest work yet with the ‘Insanity’ EP. ‘Baby’ is a melting pot of three decades worth of influences, from James Brown, to Northern Soul and indie pop of Ariel Pink.

The result is a stunning kaleidoscopic techno treat, that brims with rave, garage and funky house spirit. ‘Insane’ is a dynamic feast for the eardrums as trippy arpeggios, a persistent vocal and lush synth leads cascade throughout the seven-minute track. ‘Too Deep (to Bear) follows, an exhilarating slice of late-night techno before the EP concludes with ‘Dying Planet’, mixing up a potent environmental message with tough dancefloor functionalism.

Tiger Stripes - Insane - Drumcode - DC196

Layton Giordani steps up for his first solo EP of 2018.

In terms of pedigrees, it doesn’t get finer than Layton Giordani. The Brooklyn-born DJ/producer followed up his lauded debut album of 2017, with a collaboration with Danny Tenaglia to close out the year and marked the summer of 2018 with a three-way collaboration with Adam Beyer and Green Velvet, ‘Space Date’. The period has been a big one for Layton personally, also. From humble beginnings in his native NYC as an Output resident, to being thrust into the bustle of the European club and festival circuit, he’s enjoyed a stint living in Amsterdam, growing and developing over this time. All these experiences have had a fundamental influence on him and his music. The four-track EP ‘Phase II’ represents a new chapter for this exciting talent.

Beginning with ‘New York to Amsterdam’, a track that draws inspiration from a classic by Yves Deruyter, Layton’s work packs a memorable punch as tough acidic undertones and brain scrambling synth effects undulate raising the intensity, making it a perfect opener for Adam Beyer when he played Berghain earlier this year. ‘Body Language’ follows, a track written when Layton was scrubbed out of touring for a month courtesy of a shattered elbow from a skating accident. Not wasting the downtime, he’s crafted a cut that’s sleek, sexy and smart, with a seductive vocal and rousing melodic riff that runs throughout. ‘Black Mirror’, stays true to its dystopic name, a stomping rave cut that pummels dancefloors with a menacing lead synth that’s purpose built for the cold months ahead. ‘Enter the Stratosphere’ is steely electro-tinged techno paired with atmospheric licks of melody, awhile maintaining the artist’s trademark low-end chug. A classy conclusion to an EP from one of techno’s brightest talents.

Layton Giordani - Body Language - Drumcode - DC198

BUY: fanlink.to/mk-hoisin

Digital: 17th January 2020
Vinyl: 31st January 2020

1: Michael Klein - Hoisin
2: Michael Klein - Bite
3: Michael Klein - The Signal
4: Michael Klein - Hollow Night

Techno DJ and producer Michael Klein has been consistently putting out solid work for years, a habit that has made other DJs – among them Richie Hawtin, Chris Liebing and Laurent Garnier – look to Klein’s releases as reliable fodder fit for a variety of moods at any given party. 

Born in Frankfurt and trained in classical piano as a child, Klein cut his clubbing teeth at the likes of Robert Johnson and Cocoon. He then moved to Berlin where he cultivated his dark and groovy sound, assisted by his studies in sound engineering, and earned a residency at the beloved, now-closed Stattbad. Klein is prolific but versatile, and these qualities come to the fore on his latest release, the Hoisin EP for Second State.

The title track, ‘Hoisin’, is a shapeshifter, switching gears from mesmeric, winding bass and rhythmic bleeps to minor, eerie builds, cheeky drum rolls, and more energizing chords. ‘Bite’ is more urgent, kicked along by impatient percussion and an acidic bass burble. ‘The Signal’ is the EP’s biggest moment, destined to be a highlight of not just Klein’s sets, but others’, too. It has the atmosphere of a ‘90s Bristolian rave, with a whomping stomp, beguiling bass and the odd vocal yelp adding era-specific authenticity. ‘Hollow Night’ demonstrates how deftly he can change moods. Here Klein retreats into something darker and more insular. A kick joined by circular chords creates a claustrophobic but compelling inner world. 

Klein is a highly valued member of the Second State family and recently contributed an excellent exclusive track for Amelie Lens’ fabric presents mix. He’s been something of a secret weapon in the techno community for years, but while his music prefers to live in the dark, Klein’s profile is, deservedly, coming into the light.

@michaelkleinberlin
@secondstateaudio

The New Yellow EP

BUY HERE

Michael Klein - Hoisin

Mark Reeve - Fix Me DRUMCODE

GET TRACKS HI_RES: https://bit.ly/drumcode226

My new ep is here and incredibly proud on the result. It’s the first project rolling out of my new studio and i spent so many hours building the place and creating the tracks..

Settle In The Sun

BUY TRACKS

Shiva Says

A rare treat for Drumcode faithful: A-Sides Vol.10 is set to drop in December, the second edition of the beloved series to come in 2020.

Fuelled by the extra time and space to be creative during lockdown, Drumcode’s collective of artists have stepped up. Across 17 contributions, the producers have gone deeper into their sonic repertoire, crafting powerful, yet reflective works that capture the range of the label’s sound.

Jay Lumen leads the way with a rousing riff-driven weapon, ‘Galactic Rainbow’, while Ramon Tapia brings us the muscular gem ‘Drum Control’, mixing up ruffneck techno with a barrage of synapse-tickling synths in the second half. Both rousing highlights of the compilation.
Victor Ruiz, Drumcode’s most prolific contributor in 2020, dishes up ‘Love Story’, led by a huge vocal lead. Zimmz also returns with ‘Tension’, which deftly combines deep squelchy grooves with a silky synth interlude. Thomas Hoffknecht follows up his debut on Vol.9 with ‘Escape’, keeping listeners on their toes with dynamic, choppy shifts throughout. Veerus joins with another stirring addition ‘I Know’, reinforcing why Beyer rates him so highly.

Elsewhere a string of debutants feature: buzzy newcomer Lilly Palmer gives us ‘Amnesie’, a brilliantly pummelling and eerie cut; Alex Lentini & Stomp Boxx serve up ‘Expanders’ mixing up drone effects, trippy vocals and an unsettling melody line; and Patrik Berg’s ‘Activated’ is full-bodied techno that drops down into funky rhythms.

Long-time DC family member Bart Skils brings his A-game with the thrilling no-nonsense ‘Solid State’ that hits like a steam train. Likewise, Alan Fitzpatrick who brings a momentous slab of techno energy with ‘Rochus’, while Thomas Schumacher, now feeling like a regular on the imprint, crafts another dark techno opus, this time in collaboration with CAITLIN.

There’s even a special appearance by the chief Adam Beyer, who makes a welcome return with the progressive-tinged ‘Changes’, driven by organic tones and spacey atmospherics. The track stands as his first original contribution to A-Sides since 2017.

Adam Beyer — Changes — Drumcode — DC235

Alex Lentini, STOMP BOXX — Expanders — Drumcode — DC235

Independent record label owned by Adam Beyer.