Electronic 07

Good Mood

Hollen - Rack Modulation

A testament to the growth of Adam Beyer’s scene-leading label, Drumcode annual A-Sides Vol.8 is the brand’s biggest yet.

The 25-track strong compilation features standout cuts Beyer has received over the last 12 months, but been unable to find room for in Drumcode’s regular release schedule, such is the volume and high standard of music that’s submitted.

The highlight-rich compilation includes Jamie Jones & Darius Syrossian’s buzzy Drumcode debut ‘Eyes of the Night’, Nicole Moudaber’s first DC release in 5 years with the mesmerizing ‘This Is Us’, Will Clarke’s bass-drenched re-work of Adam Beyer & Bart Skils ‘Your Mind’ and Joey Beltram’s first Drumcode release in 11 years with the retro-tinged ‘Can You Feel It’. 

The beloved Alan Fitzpatrick returns to the fold with the searing ‘Heiße Rakete’, alongside label mainstays Layton Giordani, who drops the stirring chord-driven ‘Chrome’ and Wehbba with ‘Mantra’, combining techno classicism with future-focused groove.

There’s a troupe of debutants donning the Drumcode jersey for the first time, including BEC, Shelley Johannson, Anthony Castaldo, Avision, Zimmz, Woo York, SAMA (in a terrific collaboration with Secret Cinema) and Ilija Djokovic, who delivers a shimmering highlight with ‘Aura’, a particular favourite of Beyer’s over the last year. Raxon also debuts on the label after a couple of quality additions to the Truesoul back catalogue.

Exciting young guns Weska and Juliet Fox bring heat to the compilation, while Veerus and Timmo follow up strong DC releases with a repeat dose. Elsewhere faithful contributors Ramon Tapia, Jay Lumen, Luca Agnelli, Marco Bailey and Mark Reeve craft powerful dancefloor weapons.

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Weska — Alpha Rhythm — A-Sides Vol. 8 — Drumcode — DC211

Landing 10 years after his first concept album, Wehbba’s drops his debut full-length on Drumcode, featuring collaborations with David Caretta, Thomas Gandey and Brazilian vocalist L-cio.

Following a series of globally adored EPs and inclusions within the imprint’s esteemed A-Sides compilation series, the chart-dominating São Paulo native now reflects upon his life as ‘the artist’, offering an immersive montage of stories that echo a tenacious dedication to his craft. Enlisting the talents of multi-instrumentalist Thomas Gandey, Electroclash pioneer David Carretta and fellow Brazilian L-cio, with his unparalleled flute mastery, Wehbba’s synergetic cuts span the breadth of electronic music’s sonic landscape, as he challenges the notion of genres with seasoned voices.

Birthed from the purest inspiration, the album’s 13 cuts represent a myriad of musical references close to Wehbba’s heart, running parallel with the organic sensibilities of his field recordings. An ode to eternal growth, the LP highlights a cycle of perception and projection, as Wehbba studies the morphing of genres through his own musical filter. Discussing the upcoming album, Wehbba commented:

"The musical references on these works trace back to the 90s, when I started listening to electronic music and had no judgement of what was cool - when I was totally free. So they represent, without any filter, what touched me, ranging from braindance to goa trance, from ambient to hard house, and from drum n’ bass through every single mutation of techno and house music."

As a key ambassador for Brazil’s dance music community on a global scale, Wehbba’s long-standing career has seen him affiliate with many of the industry greats on both remix and collaborative projects; testament to his flourishing reputation. Following on from the geometric-led titles of his first two albums, Straight Lines and Sharp Corners alludes to the difficult decisions and blunt shifts he has faced in his career, and their capacity to shape his identity over time. Studying the great Antoni Gaudi, Wehbba’s third LP title takes reference from his perceptive quote: "There are no straight lines or sharp corners in nature, therefore buildings must have no straight lines or sharp corners. Anything created by human beings is already in the great book of nature."

Straight Lines and Sharp Corners

Wehbba — Coup Of Doubt — Drumcode — DC220

If you want a snapshot of where techno stands in any given year, and a preview of where it’s headed, look no further than Drumcode’s A-Sides compilation. Since 2012 it has marked the label debuts of countless vital Drumcode artists and affiliates, from Layton Giordani, Wehbba and Boxia, to Amelie Lens and ANNA, no less. Every year, new names are unearthed, tried and true techno contributors serve up their best, and icons of the industry land their debut on Adam Beyer’s storied label.

The 2020 edition hits with 13 tracks, eight coming from label debutants. There’s Eats Everything searing rave bomb ‘Organico’ and Dubfire’s ice-cool electro offering ‘Deadbug’, both artists landing their maiden contributions to DC after long affiliations with Beyer. With three EPs in less than two years on Truesoul, Oscar L steps up to DC, showing the breadth of his sound palette with a soaring, synth-laden gem ‘Dark Fate’. Belgians Joyhauser featured at last year’s Drumcode Festival paving the way for ‘Fierceness’, a beautiful melody-drenched cut befitting their DC cap. Anfisa Letyago is another first timer and shows why she’s one of the scene’s most highly touted new artists with the brooding beast ‘Are You In’. A growing label favourite, Juliet Fox follows up ‘Was Beautiful’, her superb track on last year’s A-Sides, with ‘Our Fantasy’, reinforcing her skill for crafting anthemic techno compositions. Thomas Schumacher & Victor Ruiz link and the result is ‘Intuit’, a sleek futuristic roller that hits you square between the eyes. Other highlights come from longtime Drumcode cohorts Reset Robot and Harvey McKay, who both dish up premium works, reinforcing their classy productions nous.

Loco & Jam — Addicted — Drumcode — DC223

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.

Bart Skils — Solid State — Drumcode — DC235

Independent record label owned by Adam Beyer.