Paul Ritch is back on Drumcode with his astounding new single ‘Brainwash’. Perfectly capturing the energetic, driving techno sound that Paul is capable of, ‘Brainwash’ delivers something that really engrains into the memory and leaves the dancefloor filled with vitality. On the flip side, ‘Inside Me’ is a heavily percussive rolling track that uses interesting synth hooks and stabs to create a rocking groove that creates vigour and depth that Paul’s techno represents.

Paul Ritch - Inside Me - Drumcode - DC130

This Thing Called Life

Buy on bandcamp

Esco89 - The Way (Long Play)

Adam Beyer’s Drumcode juggernaut attracts more fans and critical plaudits with each passing year. Holding firm on its future facing ethos, techno’s number one label presents a new volume in its acclaimed A-Sides series with 20 prime tracks to signify its 20th anniversary. 

Such is the volume of quality music Adam Beyer receives throughout the course of the year, releasing all of it would be impossible. Enter the blue chip A-Sides series: a chance for the quality-obsessive label head to issue a collection of outstanding tracks that couldn’t fit in their regular EP release schedule. 

With an eye on future talent, as much as the label’s established roster of heavy-hitters, the compilation showcases the full breadth of Drumcode’s multifaceted techno sound, equal parts inspiring and functional. 

Led by the stealth techno funk of ‘Nine of You’, Beyer’s deft collaboration with Mark Reeve, the compilation takes in exciting highlights from big guns such as Alan Fitzpatrick, Dustin Zahn, Bart Skils, Pleasurekraft, Luca Agnelli, Jay Lumen, Kaiserdisco and Gary Beck. 

The rich vein of form displayed by emerging techno talent is similarly given prime position. Rising DJ/producer Boxia makes his Drumcode debut, fresh from a well-received warm up set for the crew at the hugely successful Junction 2 festival in London, while the likes of Enrico Sangiuliano, Juan Sanchez, Ian O’Donovan and Timmo also drop fire, establishing their credentials as some of the most promising talent breaking through the ranks in 2016. 

Reinforcing the global scope of the label, artists such as The Junkies from Toronto and Layton Giordani from New York, prove techno is winning a place in the heart of the new generation of artists coming out of North America. 

The Junkies - Masters Of Nothing - Drumcode - DC159

Mark Reeve - Redemption (Original Mix) DRUMCODE

Mark Reeve - Fragile (Original Mix) DRUMCODE

Asgard

Asgard (Original Mix)

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

Buy all

Julian Jeweil — Schema — Drumcode — DC218

The EP starts with Mikael Jonasson’s, ‘Benefit of the Doubt’ which uses dark, melodic bleeps to create tension before the epic chord stabs kick in that resonate over the throbbing bass line. Adam Beyer steps up with the second track ‘Never Really Left Home’ that uses a rhythmic synth-line to create a dark and moody piece of music. Ida Engberg then delivers her unique style of techno using old rave sounds and a huge hoover style synth to create a driving techno track that will keep any dancefloor moving. The Manic Brother’s supply another big track named ‘Different Directions’ using reverberated stabs to create an atmospheric, but still functional track with lots of rhythmic percussion thrown in. Patrick Siech then steps up with the next track, ‘Kill Room’ that also uses atmospheric percussion and stabs to build into a funky drum groove. Joel Mull presents the sixth track on the compilation; ‘Rimson’ that uses hypnotic drums to captures the listener’s attention to lead into a floaty synth and vocal line before the track introduces a pulsating bass line. ‘Second Coming’ is the next offering with Petter B using recurrent percussion to full effect to create a purposeful, heavy hitting techno track. The final track by Cari Lekebusch called ‘Xylopeggiator’, conveys a dark, pounding 5 AM rhythm that uses vocal samples and a melodic synth to create a hypnotic drum pattern.

02 - DC107 - Adam Beyer - Never Really Left Home - Drumcode

Independent record label owned by Adam Beyer.