Drumcode

The seventh volume of Drumcode’s annual A-Sides compilation hits with no less than 10 debuts for the label, with Charlotte de Witte, ANNA, B.Traits and Scuba’s SCB project, among the collection of topline artists to release their maiden productions on the imprint. 

Over two decades into its lifespan, Drumcode keeps evolving and excelling, pushing techno forward while remaining wholly respectful of its roots. This reputation for progression was further fueled this summer with its inaugural festival at the NDSM Docklands in Amsterdam, featuring a long list of heavyweights including Nicole Moudaber, Joseph Capriati, Amelie Lens and Ida Engberg, among others. 

As ever, the A-Sides compilation provides a timely opportunity to showcase the full range of its sonic repertoire, with Adam Beyer scrupulously selecting 22 unreleased tracks that have taken prime position in his sets over recent months. 

Outstanding all-round talent ANNA kicks off the compilation with ‘Portable Paradise’, a pulsating cut that sets the tone for the top-shelf club cuts to follow. Also entering the debut field with their first ever Drumcode dalliances are B.Traits and Charlotte de Witte. The esteemed Canadian selector offers up ‘I Feel The Music’, a euphonic track that’s been sought after since spring, and the Belgian ballista unlocks a thick-edged club bomb in ‘Remember.’

Leaders of Drumcode’s new brigade, exciting Brazilian Wehbba and British techno alchemist Boxia set out to impress. Wehbba’s straight-talking ‘Just’ hits with an immediate sense of urgency before neck-snap claps strike with force, and Boxia’s ‘Final Call’ elicits physical engagement with mellifluous vocals and soaring pads. 

Continuously looking to bolster the profiles of emerging talent, Berlin-based producers Weska and Juliet Fox are brought into the fold with equally engaging razor-sharp tracks that are primed to do lasting damage. 

Other notable highlights include an exhilarating workout from Reset Robot - the most released artist on Beyer’s imprint Truesoul – as he lands on Drumcode for the first time. And tastemaker’s favourite Jel Ford makes a welcome return as he ushers in techno rhythms with bustling breaks in ‘Nightshade.’

Elsewhere, support from label mainstays comes in from Bart Skils, who offers a work of consummate skill in ‘West Of The Moon.’ Alan Fitzpatrick, who’s been heavily featured across the A-Side series, joins forces with Scuba as he operates as his uncompromising alias SCB. The result is a propulsive floor-gripper that testifies to their masterful deftness as co-producers. Formidable duos Dense & Pika and Pig&Dan also contribute with powerful compositions.

Secret Cinema & Reinier Zonneveld - Pain Thing - Drumcode - DC195

B.Traits - I Feel The Music - Drumcode - DC195

Thomas Schumacher - The Unseen - Drumcode - DC195

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 - Dying Planet - Drumcode - DC196

Tiger Stripes - Too Deep (To Bear) - Drumcode - DC196

Tiger Stripes - Insane - Drumcode - DC196

Tiger Stripes - Baby - Drumcode - DC196

Purchase here — bit.ly/DC197BP

Marco Faraone returns to Drumcode with some of his most inspired work ever, comprising of four tracks crossing the Techno spectrum.

Growing up Marco was surrounded by 90s Italo house and techno, which have all had a part in the current sound he produces today. Never one to stick to any individual style, he can often surprise his fans with a set pumping out peak time beats to down tempo house cuts with catchy vocals.

 “With this release, I took some inspiration from listening back to some old Vitalic sounds and giving some extra power to the use of synths in each track. It’s got a festival vibe to it, which is something I wanted to achieve” - Marco

His last Drumcode EP was back in 2016, so this October he makes a welcome return showing his multiskilled productions at their full potential on this mega 4 tracker, opening with the gargantuan ‘Never Forget’. Mutating rhythmic synths hark back to the good ol’ days of BXR and the limitless talent of the Italian Techno scene in the late 90s. Boiling over in the main break this is crowd-pleasing dance music at its finest. 

‘Cruiser’ is a bumpy upbeat ride with a strong melodic hook that will have the hands raised and the feet stomping. Title track ‘Lunar Eclipse’ is a dense, at times claustrophobic roller. Menacing to begin with, the addition of the main melodic motifs lifts the mood midway. ‘Take This Trip’ rounds out an incendiary EP. Lighter and more musical that the previous three, it offers a joyful, softer message. 

“This is a special release for me, I wanted this to have explosive power yet the perfect balance of melodies and sounds to create a different and unique atmosphere for each track” - Marco

Marco Faraone - Take This Trip - Drumcode - DC197

Marco Faraone - Never Forget - Drumcode - DC197

Marco Faraone - Lunar Eclipse - Drumcode - DC197

Marco Faraone - Cruiser - Drumcode - DC197

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

Layton Giordani - New York to Amsterdam - Drumcode - DC198

“With Transmission I wanted to produce an album which would represent me a hundred percent, without limiting myself or setting boundaries. It was important for me to make an LP where every single track could be used in a mix as well as listened to at home. The album's concept was simple: Transmission tells a story; my techno story" Julian Jeweil

France’s globetrotting techno DJ/producer Julian Jeweil set to release debut artist album Transmission via Adam Beyer’s illustrious Drumcode Records on 7 January 2019. 

Over the past decade, Julian Jeweil has risen to become one of one of electronic music’s most respected artists and synonymous with cutting-edge melodic techno. Throughout his career, the Marseille-based artist has garnered numerous accolades and achievements including releasing on esteemed imprints such as Cocoon, M-nus and Plus 8, being Beatport’s #1 top selling techno artist (2015), remixing the likes of Moby, Deadmau5, Dubfire & Oliver Huntemann and Pan-Pot and performing at some of the world’s best clubs/events such as Fabric (UK), Womb (JP), D-Edge (BR), Drumcode OFF Week 2018 (ES), Drumcode Festival (NL), BPM Festival (PT) and Resistance (MX). 




With the accumulation of all of this success and experience, the time has now come for the talented Frenchman to continue his burgeoning relationship with Drumcode by following on from his well-received debut ‘Rolling’ EP (2017) and ‘Space’ EP (2017) with his much-awaited debut long-player, Transmission – comprising of 11 stellar tracks inspired by Jeweil’s ambition to produce an album for the dancefloor that would fully represent him without setting any limitations or boundaries.

The alluring space-themed LP commences with the exquisite synth-laden beatless composition ‘Intro’ which is closely followed by one of the album’s darker standout moments, the stomping peak-time title track ‘Transmission’. Elsewhere, there’s further dancefloor weaponry such as the pulsating synth-driven roller ‘Mars’, the edgy groove-based ‘Hyoid’ and the trippy acid-tinged ‘Turbulence’.

Other highlights include, ‘Planet X’ which showcases Jeweil’s mastery of atmosphere, serving as an ambient downbeat interlude when placed between the pounding Berghain-esque workouts such as ‘Internal’ and ‘Futura’. The album continues into its final triptych with ‘Astral’ and ‘Dorsal, 2 powerful bass heavy masterpieces, concluding with the aptly named emotional soundscape ‘Final’ to round off a superb debut long-player that’s well worth the wait.

Julian Jeweil - Futura - Drumcode - DC199

Julian Jeweil - Planet X - Drumcode - DC199

Julian Jeweil - Internal - Drumcode - DC199

Julian Jeweil - Mars - Drumcode - DC199

Julian Jeweil - Transmission  - Drumcode - DC199

Pre-order here — bit.ly/DC200BP

Techno’s most influential label hits 200 releases with two powerful Amelie Lens interpretations of an Adam Beyer classic.

Over the course of its lifespan, Drumcode’s vision has remained resolute, crafting techno that’s both functional and forward-thinking. It’s a philosophy that extends to the stable of artists who release on the label and play its showcases, with Adam Beyer’s eyes and ears always focused on the future. 

One artist in his viewpoint in recent years is Amelie Lens. Supporting her early productions on Lyase and Second State, a kinship naturally developed between the two artists, with Beyer asking her to contribute to 2017’s A-Sides Vol.6 compilation. Her blistering acid cut ‘In Silence’ blew the collective techno world out of the water.

Eighteen months on and now a regular on Drumcode showcase line-ups, Beyer has sought the Lenske Records boss to apply her energetic take on techno and remix ‘Teach Me’, his deep, Detroit-influenced cut from 2014. The Main Mix highlighted the Swede’s Drumcode Halloween set in London and is an exhilarating peak-team weapon driven by a grinding bassline that undulates with intensity, while Lens has made smart work of the vocal, teasing out the sample to harmonic perfection. The Acid Mix sees the Belgian deliver a stripped back 303-led affair, utilising the looped vocal to build energy in the first half of the track, before rapid-fire percussion and squelchy stabs take control and push the atmosphere into darker and more ominous realms. 

Tracklist: 

1. Adam Beyer – Teach Me (Amelie Lens Main Mix)
2. Adam Beyer – Teach Me (Amelie Lens Acid Mix)

Drumcode

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