Brief Moment

DC175 comes courtesy of Alias, a new project comprising of Harvey & Ryan McKay, who are two acts who have previously released solo material on the label. Harvey McKay’s last appearance was in late 2016 when he dropped ‘The Mad Drummer’ on A-Sides Vol. 4 whereas Ryan McKay’s last outing was in 2015 when he appeared on A-Sides Vol.3 under the name Skiver. This is the first collaborative project between the Scottish duo under their new moniker Alias.

The EP opens with ‘Pentatonic’; A tough sounding track that has been designed for the forward-thinkers. ‘The Truth’ follows up sharply, with vintage piano stabs and a vocal that gives the track abounding energy. The on-point percussion leads you on a trip of pure rapture. The release closes with the apocalyptic ‘Dream Taker’, which is teeming with sinister vocal action, hostile synth work and a sublime way to sign off.

Alias - Dream Taker - Drumcode - DC175

Ramiro Lopez drops the electrifying follow up to his ‘Pretending’ EP from May this year. 

For almost a decade, Spain’s Ramiro Lopez has established himself as one his country’s leading proponents of techno, with strong releases across labels that include Suara, Intec, Octopus Recordings and Bedrock. He first debuted on Drumcode in 2016 with the rousing collaborative track ‘Clap Your Hands’ that ranked among one of the label’s standout tracks for the year. With one Drumcode release already under his belt in 2017 and a new label project Odd Recordings with fellow DC cohort Arjun Vagale recently launched, he’s enjoying another strong year.

His return to the label comes in the form of ‘Being Alone’, a powerful trio of cuts, all of which featured in Adam Beyer’s Awakenings Festival Day 1 performance. The title track is a multi-layered weapon, propelled by a dizzying vocal, swirling synth effects and pin-sharp percussion that build toward a smooth classy finish. ‘Dark Science’ is an effective stomper brought to life by a bell chime hookline and undulating synth melody ensuring its peak-time prowess. ‘Der Raum’ rounds out the EP, highlighted by Lopez’s deft drum work, proceeded by a driving, euphoric climax.

Ramiro Lopez - Der Raum - Drumcode - DC181

Wehbba collaborates with ghetto tech legend DJ Deeon, to deliver another superlative EP on Drumcode.

Since his debut on Drumcode in 2017, Brazil’s Wehbba has become one of the most dependable and impressive artists on the roster. Last year saw two standout EP’s ‘Eclipse’ and ‘Catarse’ drop on the imprint, alongside ‘Just’, his strong contribution to A-Sides Vol.7. He also made his mark playing Drumcode events at OFF Week, Resistance Ibiza and the much talked about double header in Manchester and Bristol when DC took over Warehouse Project and Motion respectively.

A true master craftsman in the studio, his first contribution for 2019 is typically impressive. A huge inspiration to Wehbba since his nascent raver days, ghetto tech icon DJ Deeon contributes a fierce vocal to ‘We Have Bass’, after a serendipitous hook up in São Paulo. A peak career moment collaborating with one of his original heroes and the artist responsible for the classic ‘Freak Like Me’, the resulting percussive-heavy cut kicks like a rodeo bull. ‘Third Wave’ is coffee geek Wehbba’s homage to his favourite brew, constructing the production to mirror the experience of a caffeine fix, as a loopy trance-inducing groove leads to powerful synth stabs that are heavy on impact. ‘Steamroller’ is a stripped back slice of techno driven by the Brazilian’s Korg MS-20 and found form after it initially begun as a studio jam inspired by Richie Hawtin’s ‘Minus Orange’. 

A Jean-Michel Jarre fan stretching back to his childhood, ‘Another Mistake’ was conceived after Wehbba saw the French legend in concert last year and was subsequently able to meet him backstage through a mutual friend. While creating the track, the producer imagined Jarre playing the main layers of the hook on his famous Laser-harp, eliciting an almost celestial quality with the melody. This is a stirring slice of techno fit for stadiums. The EP ends with ‘Purge’, the artist’s stream-of-consciousness expression recorded in one-take and a beautiful beat-less way to conclude the work.

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Wehbba - Steamroller - Drumcode - DC202

Wehbba & DJ Deeon - We Have Bass - Drumcode - DC202

Twelve months on from his outstanding debut album on Drumcode ‘Transmission’, Julian Jeweil returns with a stellar five-track EP.

Since his label debut in 2017 with EPs ‘Rolling’ and ‘Space’, Julian Jeweil has confirmed his place as one of Drumcode’s most vital artists. He’s been a mainstay of label events, playing the main stage of Drumcode Festival in both 2018 and 2019, Drumcode Halloween in ‘19 and multiple showcases at Watergate in Berlin. ‘Transmission’, his maiden LP, dropped in January 2019 and was an early year highlight, reinforcing his production nous.

Inspired by his experiences touring off the back of the album, ‘Schema’ EP offers up a quintuplet of cuts showcasing the rawer and ravier side of the Frenchman’s sound. The title track is an immersive roller, primed for a Sunday session at Berghain. ‘Outline’ ups the intensity with cascading synth effects and galloping beats. ‘Music’ is the delicious brain-scrambler thanks to its intoxicating brew of shuffling beats, vox and swirling acid. ‘Axis’ is a slam dunk of industrial bass and 303s that builds to a grin-inducing climax. ‘Landscape’ plunges the atmosphere into deeper territory, still propelled by a pummeling bass and acidic inflections.

Schema

Julian Jeweil — Axis — Drumcode — DC218

Independent record label owned by Adam Beyer.