Volume 1 of Planetary Assault Systems ʻDeep Heetʼ, released in March 2006, signaled the return of Planetary Assault Systems after a 5-year hiatus. The release of this second volume, exactly 5 years later to the day, marks the culmination of Slaterʼs Planetary Assault Systems tour that began in 2009 with the release of the ʻTemporary Suspensionʼ album on Berlin label Ostgut Ton.

Comprising three state-of-the-art expeditions into deep space techno, Deep Heet Vol. 2 takes techno back to its primitive roots, adding details inspired by yet-to- be-explored points in the galaxy; only visible from Slaterʼs Spacestation Ø UK studio.
Sucktion opens the EP in glorious style. The basis being a powerfully hypnotic groove, the track evolves steadily, drawing the listener in completely before revealing its subtle, beautifully powerful, harmonic breakdown.

Mechanical and tense, Pow Wow combines the sonic dynamism of hollow reverberating rhythms with oscillating melodic loops which together create a tightly woven groove that ultimately implodes into a shrill explosion of frequencies.

Raid closes out the EP with its shimmering minimalism crafting a calm contrast to the rest of the EP. Pulsing melodies and echoing chimes attract the focus while a heavy flat kick and spurts of firing hats add the necessary dancefloor momentum.

Mote022 :: P.A.S. - Deep Heet Vol. 2 - Raid

Volume 1 of Planetary Assault Systems ʻDeep Heetʼ, released in March 2006, signaled the return of Planetary Assault Systems after a 5-year hiatus. The release of this second volume, exactly 5 years later to the day, marks the culmination of Slaterʼs Planetary Assault Systems tour that began in 2009 with the release of the ʻTemporary Suspensionʼ album on Berlin label Ostgut Ton.

Comprising three state-of-the-art expeditions into deep space techno, Deep Heet Vol. 2 takes techno back to its primitive roots, adding details inspired by yet-to- be-explored points in the galaxy; only visible from Slaterʼs Spacestation Ø UK studio. 
Sucktion opens the EP in glorious style. The basis being a powerfully hypnotic groove, the track evolves steadily, drawing the listener in completely before revealing its subtle, beautifully powerful, harmonic breakdown.

Mechanical and tense, Pow Wow combines the sonic dynamism of hollow reverberating rhythms with oscillating melodic loops which together create a tightly woven groove that ultimately implodes into a shrill explosion of frequencies.

Raid closes out the EP with its shimmering minimalism crafting a calm contrast to the rest of the EP. Pulsing melodies and echoing chimes attract the focus while a heavy flat kick and spurts of firing hats add the necessary dancefloor momentum.

Mote022 :: P.A.S. - Deep Heet Vol. 2 - Sucktion

Mote-Evolver kicks off 2014 with Future Modular EP from Luke Slater’s Planetary Assault Systems alias, presenting sharp-as-ever fresh sound of P.A.S. that has enticed the audience as long as the mighty ‘Systems’ have existed. 

Never a stranger to a forward thinking sound aesthetic and with a title like ‘Future Modular’, P.A.S. packs the EP with 4 tracks (with digital-only ‘Subtracted Mix’ of the title track) that spark with Futurism and tightly channel the energy at the tip of the boiling point.

The title track sets the tone of the EP - positively powerful and playful - with its groovy bass drum and acid infusing an ample dose of funky rhythmic variations. But it wouldn’t be P.A.S. without the thrilling tension that locks you in, “Riot in Silo 12” on the B-side slips into the darker side, keeping the hats just below the surface and layer by layer uncovering the electrifying suspense throughout the track. “Serc” pops open with the bursting energy of kick drum then takes you to the uncharted realms of cold minimalistic drops reminiscent of early Sähkö purism, and masterfully brings a variety of moving elements and textures into dynamic captivating techno.

Future Modular is yet another top form techno EP full of ideas and dimensions from P.A.S., a superb successor to the constantly floor-stirring his previous No Exit EP to offer kinetic prowess that never diminishes.

Mote038 :: Planetary Assault Systems - Future Modular

Mote039 comes from New York-based Mike Parker, a producer known for his consistent stream of quality work, whose first release goes back to 1997 and who is the creator of his own language of music. 

With Spitting Electricity EP Parker showcases his unique sound of dizzying array of hypnotica warped in metallic swirls. Dubbed with a fitting title to characterize his high-voltage soundscape, the EP is also a nice comeback to Mote-Evolver after his remix for Marcel Fengler’s Thwack Remixes release.

This time Parker delivers 3 tracks that are not only powerful, but also designed to deepen and strengthen almost meditative nature of techno’s outer-end, endlessly evolving with fluidity. The title track is charged with electric sparks buzzing through a hard-edged 4/4 rhythm with unstoppable ebbs and flows of intensity. Following “Polar Vortex” adds even more pressure points and characters, especially with hollowed out deep chorus of voice layering unexpected touch of solemnness. 

On the B-side is “Ice Fissure”, the longest track of the EP that takes time to render its full force. It’s also the track that’s most core to Mike Parker’s trademark perpetuating spiral vortex, featuring ever expanding ripples across the surface of sound.  


Mote039 :: Mike Parker - Spitting Electricity

Luke Slater’s Mote-Evolver reach the big 4-0 with the help of Chris Jarman, the commanding officer behind the Kamikaze Space Programme. Looking to redefine the concept of uncompromising from bass culture’s traditional Bristol HQ, ‘Concrete Musique’ is four tracks of loud, hard-nosed, techno-taunting speaker pressure.

Both ‘The Bailiff’ and ‘Network Rail’ power off boxy kick drums: such is their statement of intimidation, not much else is needed to accompany this campaign of haymaking through the arena.With percussion veering between tub-thumping and machine gunned tribalism, the pair set about a session of straight up and down ear-bashing. ‘The Bailiff’ carries the thinnest and daintiest of supernatural airs, while ‘Network Rail’ and its spearing loops demand to be housed in a hangar reaching breaking point.

Dancing on the live rail and taking a buzzsaw to its bottom end is the blackened electro breakbeat of ‘Radio’, laying down body-popping lino before the techno undertone turns it into a bed of nails. KSP’s palette is again sparse, watching the sparks fly while cowbells ring in the distance, making a date with the Deathstar for all poppers and lockers brave enough to face its wrath.

‘Death to the Valley’ is a versatile beast. Thanks to its explosive bass foundation, it can be found sweeping grime and trap before it, hanging out in the deepest techno recesses, and stomping its breakbeat feet. Another seethingly bare backdrop, punctuated by lab squiggles and signals vainly trying to keep a leash on the marauder it has let loose, means you should wear protection: contents are white hot.

Mote040 :: Kamikaze Space Programme - Concrete Musique

Since around the release of Planetary Assault Systems' The Messenger LP, the No Exit and Future Modular EPs, P.A.S. overseer Luke Slater has made a solid case for being one of the few techno producers who has defined the genre's past and will continue to define its future. While he has spread his allegiances across a number of the genre's best labels, his own Mote Evolver label is, understandably, a source of the most compelling work from the man: the No Exit and Deep Heet Vol. 3 EPs being two of his more recent high-quality offerings. That trend seems set to continue with the release of Planetary Assault Systems' The Eyes Themselves EP.

The title track is indeed a kind of treat for the mind's eye - after a convetional rhythmic leadin, Slater gets down to business and unveils a few layers of crisp and captivating sound design. Irregular droplets of high-frequency sound fade in and then seem to fall around the listener like glowing rain on the surface of a distant planet, before receding and making way for more subtle phrases. All the while, fluctuations in the aggressiveness and persistence of the cymbal tracks fight to wrest the listener's attention away from this mesmerizing rain, making for an intriguing push-pull effect.

Elsewhere, it is a sign of Slater's strength that a track named for a well-known concept within dynamical systems ("Strange Attractor") doesn't come across as a completely arbitrary guess at what such a concept might 'sound' like. A number of lightly accented, quickly decaying micro-sounds come together here to become more than the sum of their parts, certainly connoting dynamism and at the very least keeping up a servicable spaced-out
groove.

Now, for those who prefer the grit and tension of urban reality to dancing numbers or speculation on other worlds, have no fear - the closing "Arc" is powered along by dirty filtered phrases, a faintly menacing shaker sample and the occasional impolite release of steam from the grating beneath your feet. It gives one the uneasy feeling of stalking in the shoes of a professional assassin, and it wouldn't be out of place in some documentary film on the same.

Few sonic artists can go from an atmosphere of oneiric wonder to one of cold intensity in just a few short steps, let alone doing this in a techno music genre that has little margin for error when it comes to conjuring atmospheres. As such, The Eyes Themselves once again demonstrates Slater's lasting contribution to techno: maintaining its reputation as a tool for stimulating both intellectual and physical energy, for aiding restless peregrinations of thought and for giving the body its freedom.

Mote041 :: Planetary Assault Systems - The Eyes Themselves

Spanish producer Psyk (a.k.a. Maan or Manuel Anós) is an audio technician who makes good on his name; each of his new releases acting like a steely sonic probe to be launched into the as-of-yet uncharted depths of the psyche. His newest release for the Mote-Evolver label (following last year's Time Foundation album and the EPs Aracade and Distane) is solid and elemental techno as ever: it fits neatly into the label's stylistic template of mesmerizing precision yet never forsakes individuality in order to do so. Like Psyk's other offerings for this label, the new EP works its magic on the central nervous system with a perfectly interwoven blend of up-front anxious sequences and mysterious luminous undercurrents, making for an experience whose energizing effect lasts well after the record has stopped spinning.

Where records like Distane rolled over dancefloors with a metallic, cardiac thump not unlike that shown on other standout M.E. releases (e.g. Marcel Fengler's Thwack), [title here] spins its enveloping cocoon of sound around the listener in a less aggressive - but still enjoyably intense - manner. With its crystalline mesh of bass kick, jittering hats and persistent 8th-note percolations, the opener "Human" immediately lays a foundation which will command listeners' focus, but soon enough a whole new substrata of strange, beckoning noises can be heard beneath this impermeable layer of technoid sound. This 'more than meets the ear' strategy is the key to this new release's infectiousness, and it's once again employed to strong effect on the b-side's "Powder" (which adds driving ride cymbal and a cleverly subtle filtering to the mix.) An additional b-side, "Aumento," features a gorgeous interplay between a high whistling oscillator and its lower pitched counterpart, bringing on the trance state so strongly that you can almost see pulsing concentric circles and whirling form constants as you shut your eyes. For purchasers of the digital EP, a bonus mix of "Human" provides an encore performance of the lead-off track with an additional helping of deft filtering, insistent handclap and percussive depth.

Psyk's basic mission - to map out and expand consciousness with dense corporeal music - is an exciting one to be a part of, as well as a necessary and timely one. In a teeming electronic music galaxy where many producers still mistake a bag of sonic tricks for a wealth of insight and sophistication, Psyk and Mote-Evolver just shrug their shoulders and continue to show what genuine growth and progress sound like.


Mote043 :: Psyk - Human EP

MOTE046 ::  Planetary Assault Systems - Planetary Funk 22 Light Years - Part I

Fresh off of his re-activation of the seminal “Planetary Funk” series, Luke Slater delivers another new 12” with all of the purposeful intensity and sonic clarity to be expected from his celebrated Planetary Assault Systems alias. Pairing both an original mix and a spirited re-working by Josh Wink, “Kat” is a winning synthesis of all the elements that make P.A.S. such a continually relevant player in the game of moving bodies and opening minds: it once again pushes beat-driven sound to disciplined extremes, but not without clearly detectable traces of humor and playfulness.

As vocal repetition of the track’s simplistic and suggestive title is run through a maze of filters, pitch-shifts and delays, an equally busy set of tubular bass figures mirrors this approach and meshes with the insistent rhythm. Carefully inserted hard stops, crafty fading of sound from background to foreground, and unexpected breakdowns give the track a kind of restless feel that ensures its success as a peak hour selection, or as a reliable companion on inner-city underground transit journeys.

While the original mix on the b-side begins in a more subdued fashion, it isn’t lacking at all in concentrated energy. As is the case with so many other P.A.S. classics, this mix relies on geometrical sound sequences that slowly approach from a distance before they completely overtake the listener. Elements like static crackling are wielded here like active parts of the conversation rather than as atmospheric wallpaper, and the beat itself hits with a mixture of force and subtlety, with anxious drum hits doubling up on one another and regularly giving rise to new patterns.

“Kat” is the kind of record that gives Planetary Assault Systems fans both what they want, and what they didn’t expect: it steers away from easy techno conventions but never abandons that genre’s physicality and infectiousness.

Words by Thomas Bey William Bailey

MOTE047 ::  Planetary Assault Systems - Planetary Funk 22 Light Years - Part II

Function 4 (James Ruskin Rework) forthcoming digital bonus off of Planetary Assault Systems - The Light Years Reworks, out on 3x12" on March 10th, 2017.
---
Having already unleashed a considerable amount of collaborative magic with the “Planetary Funk: 22 Light Years” series of remix EPs, Luke Slater has now upped the ante with six full sides’ worth of material, all of them injecting the spirit of classic P.A.S. into new sonic organisms. Using motifs from past P.A.S. successes, Luke Slater and his cohorts join here to make something radical and revitalizing: too cohesive for a “compilation album” and with too much autonomy granted to the guest remixers to be a simple “tribute,” this new LP is the boldest statement in the series yet.

MOTELP03 - The Light Years Reworks

MOTELP03 - Planetary Assault Systems - Function 4 (James Ruskin Rework)

A1 / 1. Twelve (Marcel Fengler Rework)
A2 / 2. Diesel Drudge (Function Rework)
B1 / 3. Surface Noise (P.A.S. Live Edit)
B2 / 4. Twelve (Psyk Rework)
C1 / 5. Booster (Octave One Rework)
C2 / 6. Function 6 (KSP Rework)
D1 / 7. Surface Noise (Lucy Rework)
E1 / 8. Temporary Suspension (SLAM Rework)
E2 / 9. Tap Dance (P.A.S. Live Edit)
F1 / 10. Raid (Steve Bicknell Rework)
F2 / 11. Whistle Viper (P.A.S. Live Rework)

Having already unleashed a considerable amount of collaborative magic with the “Planetary Funk: 22 Light Years” series of remix EPs, Luke Slater has now upped the ante with six full sides’ worth of material, all of them injecting the spirit of classic P.A.S. into new sonic organisms. Using motifs from past P.A.S. successes, Luke Slater and his cohorts join here to make something radical and revitalizing: too cohesive for a “compilation album” and with too much autonomy granted to the guest remixers to be a simple “tribute,” this new LP is the boldest statement in the series yet.

Three of the tracks in the program are intense and captivating live re-workings from Slater himself, hurtling from the speakers with an apparent minimum of post-production polish and an optimal level of buzzing energy. The first of these, his new “Surface Noise” treatment, sends listeners wading through a dark pool of restlessly throbbing sound with a single buzz-tone as a beacon, adding new percussive fuel to keep the journey going just when it seems all will fade into enveloping darkness. “Tap Dance” brings a brighter sound set to the mix, but without forsaking the trademark steamrolling bass and the contrasting effect of gravity-resistant ephemeral sound clouds. The last reworking, “Whistle Viper,” caps off this ‘set-within-a-set’ in similar fashion.

While this on its own would make for a compelling listen, the album is also laden with contributions from an international assembly of electronic soul controllers (to wit: Marcel Fengler, Psyk, Lucy, Slam, Octave One, Function and KSP). Fengler kicks off the proceedings with an ecstatic and lustrous rework of “Twelve,” a melodic sunrise joining a synth pad massage to a locked-in and systematic rhythm. Psyk’s own interpretation of the same track preserves the same insistence but applies it to a completely different time and place, driving the listener through a wilderness of coded signals and an ambiguous repetition of the title that sounds like it could be as much a warning as an indicator of progress.

KSP’s version of “Function 6” gradually builds a cyborg leitmotif from an overdriven martial beat and epileptic machine breakdowns – a fascinating audio case study of perfect discipline disintegrating into something rather unexpected. Sequencing this with Octave One’s “Booster” rework is an ideal choice, as the squared-away EBM / electro-funk sequences and flanged hi-hats seem to refer to a different phase in the life cycle of the same machine. Function’s “Diesel Drudge,” on the other hand, moves from the machine world into a totally oneiric world typified by backwards-masked / time-traveling voices and a thick strobe-lit haze. Taking a cue from this atmosphere is Lucy’s re-envisioning of “Surface Noise”, in which he doubles down on the original’s feel of liquefied darkness to create a piece of endlessly vibrating sonic mesmerism, a no-nonsense tantric exercise in shedding preconceptions and inhibitions.

Rounding out the collection is Steve Bicknell’s “Raid” version – a breathing mosaic of rhythmic pulses and clattering objects – and Slam’s characteristically intense modification of “Temporary Suspension,” whose low-end sequences continually bubble and seethe yet never completely boil over.

MOTELP03 - Planetary Assault Systems - The Light Years Reworks

RoogUnit is the new production duo fusing together the talents of Luke Slater and Ø [Phase] a.k.a. Ashley Burchett, a pair that have already joined forces in the recent past: Ø contributed a striking remix of the Planetary Assault Systems classic "Dungeon" for the radical reassessment program "Planetary Funk: 22 Light Years," and the two shared DJ duties during last year's "22 Light Years" tour. The apt title of the debut EP for Mote Evolver, "Mesh," suggests a locked grid or set of axes on top of which all sorts of creative possibilities can be sketched out, and it provides a perfect descriptive metaphor for the interaction between these two skillful heads: like carefully interwoven strands, neither half of the duo dominates the proceedings and each individual's contribution strengthens the effect of the other's.

The self-titled leadoff track on "Mesh" is a bracing bombardment of the senses, pulling out all the stops in order to get ever closer to a white-hot core of intensity. This journey to the heart of the sun moves along at a rapid pace, but also with a sense of patience, as new sound elements fade in slowly and surely. Chugging bass sequences, metallic flutters and sparkling high-register arpeggiation all make this into a piece of contained chaos that will engage veteran listeners and certainly teach novices a thing or two.

Before the listener has fully caught his or her breath, "Bugeye" follows suit and proves that the winning formula of the previous track is no one-off affair. A characteristically high-impact percussive track forms the base from which Burchett and Slater implement their plans for layering sonic architecture. Here their experience and determination truly differentiate them from the pack - where others might pile on sounds into an indistinct and fatiguing audio mush, this pair overlaps numerous different tone colors without causing any of them to lose their individual character.

The flipside, "The Chains," is a quintessential late night / early dawn number that leads listeners down subterranean corridors lined with beams of luminescent light and populated by smoke-shrouded men of mystery. On this cut, eerie shivering sonorities float in with all the classic drama of sustained Hammond organ chords; a bed of sound on top of which a cool vocal recitation encourages listeners that everything will be "all right" - although the tension between this laidback narration and the demanding straight-ahead trajectory of the music will allow listeners to make up their own minds on that score.

The full dose of "Mesh" shows two producers clearly at their most focused and precise. Like their best work to date, it will get fans' active imaginations churning - and leave them wondering what this collaboration has in store for the near future.

Words by Thomas Bey William Bailey

Mesh EP

MOTE049 :: RoogUnit - Mesh EP

Since 2006, the Deep Heet series of recordings has shown the public an especially distinctive side of the production work of Planetary Assault Systems. With a unique ‘engine room’ ambience and a focus upon maintaining a continual surge of pure energy, each volume in the Deep Heet collection has lived up to that title, subtly suggesting the kind of sustained and voluntary temperature rise that has traditionally given way to spiritual or visionary experiences. Just check out tracks such as “Flat Tire” from Volume 3, with its hard percussive edge accompanied by a pervasive hiss like boiling matter changing into gas. P.A.S. helmsman Luke Slater also thinks highly enough of this series to re-work tracks like “Whistle Viper” in recent live sets, or to offer up others (e.g. “Raid”) for remixing by Mote-Evolver allies.

It’s only appropriate, then, that the 50th overall release on Mote-Evolver should also be the fourth overall volume of Deep Heet. In keeping with Slater’s recent forward-thinking self-assessments like the “Planetary Funk” anniversary series, this is simultaneously a summary of past successes and another new evolution in style and content. This new set of four highly concentrated cuts shows how effective Planetary Assault Systems can be at fueling the imagination by fusing together rhythmic and incidental elements into a unified, animated meshwork, without even a prominent melody to help out. For example, on the compelling track “Lazer Organical,” listeners will find themselves in the midst of a testing range where thick arcs of coherent plasma ricochet off of the walls.

Deep Heet Vol. 4 also showcases Slater’s aptitude for choosing just the right moments to deviate from a steady groove: on the mesmerizing bubblebath of “Random Kingdom,” he allows listeners to sink into the rising sonic foam before interjecting with some sharp metallic hits. The leadoff track “Desert Races” proceeds in similar fashion, weaving a web of luminous sequencer patterns around the listener before and cutting in with sudden fluctuations or distortions that function like a hypnotist’s suggestions after an entranced patient has become fully responsive. “Life Rhythm,” on the other hand, is a total immersion session in which Slater’s presence seems to recede into the background and listeners themselves may begin imagining overtones and sonic ephemera that weren’t programmed into the original track.

Deep Heet Vol. 4

MOTE050 :: Planetary Assault Systems - Deep Heet Vol. 4

The working relationship between producer Psyk (a.k.a. Manuel Anós) and Mote-Evolver continues with the new Silent Witness EP, another episode showcasing Psyk’s expert balance of technical variance and affective consistency.

The EP title brings to mind the kind of frozen state of awe that accompanies intense, revelatory experiences of all kinds, and the careful build-up of each individual track here allows plenty of room for such a state to come about. Put another way, Psyk’s simple but dense constructions rise and fall with a perfect, patient arcing motion that make the music feel very much like a first contact with some uncanny new form of intelligence. “Disorder,” for example, leads in with a curiosity-provoking combo of rubbery kick drum and gated synth sounds that seem like sonic accompaniment for observing the conduction of electricity across neuronal pathways. Its gradual intensification, via shivering and cleanly spaced cymbal accents and writhing / restless synth drone, acts like a microscope onto equally colorful imagined scenarios. The title track follows on this with a similar tempo and probing mood, but this time with sharper rhythmic edges, crisp hi-hats and swells that rise like mist over a darkened body of water.

“Apart” inaugurates the B-side with a classic club sound; one reliant on chaining together micro-snippets of sound into something epic and expansive. As with the previous two cuts, a master tone glides over this assemblage of tiny machines and sees that it reaches a satisfying conclusion. “Surrender” then ends this particular voyage with a vertiginous, omnipresent sequence guiding the way through a synthetic wilderness where chromed mandibles clack together and where hallucinated alert sounds lend an air of lurking danger.
Longtime fans of Psyk will find Silent Witness to be a very worthy addition to his catalogue, and also a worhty addition to any DJ sets that desire to mix raw energy with a carefully tailored sense of sophistication.

MOTE051 :: Psyk - Silent Witness EP

Oliver Deutschmann, who operates the Berlin-based Vidab label along with Stephan Hill, specializes in what he calls “timeless” club music – while it’s a term that initially seems like it could apply to anything and everything, a quick survey of Deutschmann’s work makes it readily apparent what he means. His hard-edged beats, insistent tones, and occasional flash of devious humor make Deutschmann a natural addition to the Mote Evolver roster: his natural versatility and clear-minded futurism result in compelling club tracks and DJ nights, and his Mote Evolver debut EP Lost In A  Loop is no exception to this rule. With just a simple schematic to work with, Deutschmann does what the best producers do and enlivens those simple instructions until they give an illusion of greater complexity.

Deutschmann’s deft usage of split-second samples on the opening track “Seduced” turns a distant, repeated murmur of the track title into an inescapable command, while a dense undergrowth of acid bassline makes it clear there’s no turning back. The interlude “Apsurt” follows with lofty, faintly ominous synth pads providing the backing to a glass elevator ride to the top of a skyscraper utopia, all while a reassuring monologue on neurology points towards a future of human connectivity. The tension between the dark-tinted instrumentation and these utopian pronouncements is a classic techno trope that Duetschmann employs to great effect.

On the b-side, “Survive” plays out very much like the more intense and anxious twin of “Seduced,” again relying on the repeitition of a single reverberating word to set the tone, while the hammering drum patterns fill in the details. The closer “Lost” dispenses with the vocalisations completely and lets the steaming mechanical processes take center stage: the stripped-down symbiosis of body and brain that this track achieves is very rperesnetative of Deutschmann’s work overall.

MOTE052 :: Oliver Deutschmann – Lost In A Loop EP

full stream of "Reel One" by L.B. Dub Corp, taken from upcoming album "Side Effects" [MOTELP04]

Side Effects

L.B. Dub Corp - Reel One

May sees Luke Slater return to his Mote-Evolver imprint under his L.B.Dub Corp guise with an album entitled ‘Side Effects’.

Reflecting on a career spanning three decades, Luke Slater is a true dance music legend. The British producer has not only been pivotal in the rise of techno but his work continues to play a vital role in driving the genre forward, particularly under his Planetary Assault Systems name. Following its launch in 2006, Slater’s L.B.Dub Corp moniker has been responsible for refreshing house music on labels like Mote-Evolver and Ostgut Ton, with the latter hosting the pseudonym’s debut album in 2013. ‘Side Effects’ is the project’s first body of work since then.

“I wrote the tracks over the last year between being on the road as P.A.S. and playing a few L.B.Dub Corp house sets, which naturally evolved into ‘Side Effects’ almost accidentally” – Luke Slater

Crashing stabs and a rolling hook inaugurate the album in ‘Reel One’ before the meandering ‘Night Time Hawk’ demonstrates effervescent effects and bursts of white noise. Commanding kicks and a moody bassline make up the robust ‘Edge 7’ whilst ‘IELBEE’ exhibits a bouncy aesthetic complete with intricate melodies. ‘Float When You Can’ is dark and ominous from the off but an echoing note sequence adds a glimmer of light, making way for the reverberating mechanics of ‘Bass Machine’ before leading into the ghostly and twisted ‘Forever In A Day’. ‘LBEES Jam’ is the most lighthearted track on the album with its twinkling lead melody, moving into a soulful and vocal driven affair named ‘See The Light’ until things get dusky and percussive in ‘We Are Going Home’. Finally, Slater rounds off the release with the intricate snaking cut ‘Calling The Spirit’.

MOTELP04 :: L.B. Dub Corp - Side Effects

Fresh off the new album we welcome the arrival of a limited L.B Dub Corp single. Opening proceedings, ‘See The Light’ unveils a soulful and vocal driven side to the L.B.Dub Corp sound, whilst ‘We Are going Home’ switches up the aesthetic and movesinto duskier, percussion driven territories. Last up, Slater punctuates the EP with the intricate, snaking sonics of ‘Calling The Spirit’, harnessing slick, skipping hats and a hypnotic, ever-evolving lead line.

MOTE053 :: L.B. Dub Corp - See The Light EP

Having taken a short summer break, Mote-Evolver is back with something very special. Luke Slaterʼs Planetary Assault Systems alias needs little introduction having been at the very heart of techno since 1993. Taken from the first ever Mote-Evolver EP, GT is remixed and reworked to bring a classic bang-up-to-date.

James Ruskin brings his classic Detroit inspired sounds into the mix; creating a meandering journey of a mix; bringing out all the futuristic, industrial robot-funk of the original, piecing together the elements into one soulful and hypnotic whole.

Function & Jerome Sydenham continue their successful production partnership to create a dark and heavy rework. With both producers styles evident in the mix the melting pot of parts comes together as deep, abrasive warehouse techno.

Fittingly, Slater gets in on the act too, providing a selection of P.A.S. Rhythm & Beats and his own P.A.S. ʻDrone Sectorʼ remix; transporting the original straight out of 2006 and into 2010 with all the mesmerizing exquisiteness the original still intact.

>> DJ Feedback 
:: Adam Beyer: Amazing stuff, cheers 
:: Speedy J: great stuff! love the PAS mixes & beats! 
:: Joel Mull: Function vs Sydenham is lovely. Im also really into the Ruskin remix. And P.A.S Rhytm & Beats 2 
:: Cari Lekebusch: Topnice! Far out of range package! All tracks! 
:: Tim Xavier: Finally proper techno that doesn't make me crindge! Very very nice :) Full support, play chart, etc... 
:: Damon Wild: great release..full support. Like the PAS remixes the best, but all are strong! 
:: Pär Grindvik: feeling the P.A.S. versions, ruskin's version is sweet as well! thanks 
:: Dustin Zahn: Got my hands on the F vs JS remix early. It does the damage without a doubt. Ruskin's remix is very solid too but a bit too similar to the original for me. The nice part about the Beats 2 tool is that its very close to the original but has a little extra umph in the kick drum department compared to the original version from 2006. 
:: 2000 and one: proper techno only luke can do 
:: Dubfire: very good ep :-) 
:: Ida Engberg: I really like the James Ruskin remix! 
:: Pfirter: Impossible to choose a fav one, really great package. Love all the tracks. 
:: Jamie Bissmire: wicked ep ...play and support...fo shizzle. Really like James remix ... off the hook 
:: Jerome Sydenham: Breath taking techno!!! all versions superb. 
:: Nuno dos Santos: remix by function & sydenham is great! deep and peaktime :) Also really usuable djtools by PAS!! 
:: Terry Francis: hard to choose 1.tough! 
:: Stephan Bodzin: ruskin remix for me! good, dark techno. 
:: Joseph Capriatti: wicked release! will support this bombs for sure! 
:: Orde Meikle: fucking A - brilliant set of mixes - all good - playing these 
:: Gennaro Le Fosse: Luke is a pioneer , been supporting his tunes fr years!! and will rock this for sure!! full support!! 
:: Chris Liebing: cool, will play most of it 
:: John Digweed: good stuff 
:: Stryke: dark and edgy. really loving this label's output. the Functin/Jerome Sydenham mix is my fave here. All mixes rock though! Full support! 
:: Tom Hades: Thanks for this one ! will be hammering it out ! supporting ! 
:: Tony Scott: great release as usual ,will play all especially the tools .=) 
:: Troy Pierce: cool mixes 
:: Karotte: ruskin, function vs. sydenham are great. full support. 
:: Mauro Picotto: big techno room, great 
:: Alan Fitzpatrick: total bombs, love the whole package! 
:: Nihad Tule: P.A.S edits are my picks here. Love and support! Thanks! 
:: Marco Bailey: great and dark ! 
:: Michel de Hey: lukes remixes +ruskin 4 me! 
:: Laurent Garnier: Yessss , this is gonna sound great on a big system Lovin' it 
:: Jesper Dahlbäck: OMFG i love you luke! rhythm and beats is all i need god dammit!

Mote018 :: P.A.S. - GT (James Ruskin Remix)

MOTE054_B1 Rene Wise - LOUD COLOURS

MOTE054 - Rene Wise - LOUD COLOURS

Hot on the heels of his noteworthy digital debut for Mark Broom’s Beard Man label earlier this year, rising Brighton-based techno producer Rene Wise steps up on Mote Evolver with his second instalment, ‘Loud Colours’ EP. True to the DNA of Luke Slater’s imprint, Wise fires off a throbbing combination of big room-ready 4/4 mechanics, high-velocity bass and hypnotic acideries on a dopey, dubby flex – engineering the tools of chaos for a highly immersive dive into the basement’s teeming underworld and its nocturnal fauna. 

The howling ‘Wolf’ kicks things off on a pounding yet playful note with its hooting synths and behemoth kicks, whilst ‘Broken Motor’ sinks you into an obsessive swirl of lysergic arpeggios and rattling drums on automatic fire. Back to a more synthetic feel, ‘Loud Colours’ heads for the abysses of consciousness with its subtly interwoven skein of sonar-like bleeps, bloops and straight gut-churning stomp. Looping the loop, ‘Spirit Molecule’ tops the record off with more of a hip-swaying finish, dipping its latin-inflected batucada riddims in a thick sauce of brooding dub, eerie noises and altered vocal echoes out the murkiest of post-urban landscapes.

Loud Colours EP

MOTE054 :: Rene Wise - Loud Colours EP

Heralded as one of the more interesting newcomers to the underground scene, Lucyʼs refreshing style of intuitive dub techno has found a natural home with Luke Slaterʼs Mote-Evolver label. Having come together earlier this year via Slaterʼs remix of Gmork on Lucyʼs own Stroboscopic Artefacts imprint, this EP for Mote- Evolver showcases Lucyʼs affinity with the darkly elegant and warped atmospheres.

Shrewdly crafted with the intention of creating exhilarated mayhem, Beautiful People is a sonic bomb with a long fuse; steadily discharging intense waves of uptight energy before exploding into life via screaming sirens and raw kick drums.

Falling Empire blurs the line between techno and electronica as tough, rolling beats contrast starkly against a backdrop of weaving harmonic soundscapes to create a disorientating ambiance that is simultaneously energizing and dreamlike.

Happiness Is A Prison is included as a digital bonus, closing out the release neatly by drawing together both functional and abstract flavors evident elsewhere on the record in a marriage of punchy rhythms, abrasive bass and off-kilter keys.

>>DJ Feedback
:: Speedy J: proper stuff!  
:: Jesper Dahlbäck: i want this dirty fucker! full support! 
:: Christian Smith: fuck me....this is some powerful shit! beautiful people rocks! 
:: Chris Liebing: great stuff! 
:: Darko Esser: Falling Empire is just pfffffff..... It’s a monster that will KILL on the floor!
:: Dustin Zahn: Beautiful People is my pick. It's laid back but hits in the right places, thank you! 
:: Troy Pierce: tough stuff, nice. 
:: Cari Lekebusch: wellnice and sinister off the wall type of goodies :) 
:: Pig & Dan: AMAZING 
:: Gregor Tresher: another cool mote evolver release. strong package, think i like falling empire best here. 
:: Laurent Garnier: deep and daaark techno. Love this 
:: Joseph Capriati: full support on this one! another strong release on M.E. 
:: Nuno dos Santos: Dark driven techno as i like it! 
:: Orde Meikle (Slam): fucking A - like this alot - playing 
:: Mihalis Safras: aside is stomper! stripped down proper techno! 
:: Jamie Bissmire: Beautiful People. good work ..play fo shizzle.. 
:: Pfirter: Great EP, full support. 
:: Psycatron: nice work, liking Falling Empire 
:: Alan Fitzpatrick: massive EP, full support. 
:: Stephan Bodzin: very good release! 
:: Nihad Tule: massive! will be in my sets and chart! you nailed it once again! 
:: Tony Scott / edit-select: lucy's on fire, shakin
:: Gary Beck: beautiful people is for me! thanks 
:: Craig Richards / fabric: excellent 


Mote019 :: Lucy - Beautiful People

Manuel Años, AKA Psyk, has much to lay claim to within his relatively short career, having already played at Berghain, Tresor and Stockholm's Fabriken, as well as having himself as a focal point of Madrid's techno scene. His approach seeks to continually purify and refine his sound, and with 'Distance' - his debut release on Mote-Evolver - he melds together new forms of rhythm and expression with the kind of maximal composition and hard energy that the label has honed. The four tracks of 'Distance' pulse, pound and thump their way forward while also showcasing a distinct metabolism that develops throughout this varied release.

The A-side, beginning with 'Distance', establishes a direct, compelling energy that's carried forward by echoing synths that become underlaid with an ever-growing bass. Envelopment is the true characteristic of 'Distance' as it compresses its energy, channels it forward and establishes a strong sense of momentum perfect for any number of following tracks. 'Isolate', the A2 track, properly expresses its title with isolated, intense pulses of warped bass that eventually blend into one another to deliver a highly hypnotic, immersive feel. This sense of repetition creates a spiraling sense of progression that hooks onto the listener and draws them in.

'Rdmn”, the first track on the B-side, brings in a sense of experimentation as it uses different percussive patterns while it searches for its moment to strike. The dented funk of the main bass line ebbs and flows until it finds its groove and immerses itself in it. On the heels of this comes 'Main', the final track that is no less saturated with energy than all the rest. It's pure switched-on dance floor thunder, and surges forward with a straight-forward simplicity. As Psyk's first release on Mote-Evolver, 'Distance' establishes the momentum both for the budding Spanish producer as well as for his supercharged productions to come.


Mote031 :: Psyk - Distane E.P.

Fresh off much essential reissues of his seminal debut album for Peacefrog, 'The Electric Funk Machine', and the initially 2017-released 'The Light Years Reworks', which featured an incredible cast of remixers, UK techno mastermind Luke Slater resurfaces as Planetary Assault Systems with a crisp double-package of his signature deep-rolling, hypnotic big-room churners. As its name suggests, 'Straight Shooting' takes no byway to get its point across.

Lifting off with the bleepy, outerspacey thrust of 'Beam Rider', Slater's new outing stings like a straight-out nasty shot of adrenaline right in the ticker. Going for the jugular with its ever impactful mix of pummeling kicks, bloodthirsty bass combers and frenzied electronics blinking like signals freshly emerged from a long drift across cold, hostile wormholes, PAS further proves he navigates in a parallel dimension of his own. Although familiar in essence, the chassis of the tracks remains distinctively unique with cuts like 'Born Anchors' and 'Engage Now' moving away from the calibrated number category, whilst finely blurring the line between explosiveness and self-discipline, which makes them perfect for near-peaktime moments of transition in a set.

Proper muscular bangers are nevertheless the kernel of it all here, and sure to steer the crowd into ecstasy on automatic pilot. If 'Humans Use Concrete' blazes with the wild stomp of Slater's most incisive classics and 'Bear Bones' guides its listener into a trippy excursion across hyperspace loops and alien inner territories, it's 'Give It Up' that harnesses the storm with its playful mix of sliced-and-diced vox fragments, rabid toms, skittish hats and freq-shifting synth whines sure to cut a path of destruction into the club. If an extra-terrestrial invasion of planet Earth was on the agenda, no doubt Slater would be appointed soundtrack composer in chief. Deadly as it gets, 'Straight Shooting' holes it in one.

MOTE055 :: Planetary Assault Systems - Straight Shooting

Released on Slater’s iconic ‘Freek Funk’ album on NovaMute - one of the most seminal techno albums of the 90s - ‘Love’ finally gets the remix treatment it deserves more than two decades after its initial release.

Marcel Dettmann provides two takes on Love, his ‘City’ remix features a cacophony of metallic rhythm, ebbing pads and plenty of swing whilst mantra-like vocals operate throughout, followed by the thudding ‘Black Glove’ remix with its murky tones and rattling effects.

Luke Slater - Love - Marcel Dettmann Black Gloves Remix

Luke Slater’s timeless ‘Love’ gets remixed by Burial, Marcel Dettmann, Lucy, Scuba, Silent Servant, and more on Mote-Evolver this May.

Released on Slater’s iconic ‘Freek Funk’ album on NovaMute - one of the most seminal techno albums of the 90s - ‘Love’ finally gets the remix treatment it deserves more than two decades after its initial release.

Leading the charge, Burial makes one of his rare appearances on remix duties and doesn’t disappoint with an atmospheric and mesmerising reimagining with an aesthetic reminiscent of ‘Untrue’. Lucy then reels out a deep-diving techno roller with precision kicks and tantalising melodies. Luke Slater then adopts his The
7th Plain moniker for a collage of sound extending past the 15-minute mark, before upping the energy with a moody reverberating number as Planetary Assault Systems.

Marcel Dettmann provides two takes on ‘Love’; his ‘City’ remix features a cacophony of metallic rhythm, ebbing pads and plenty of swing whilst mantra-like vocals operate throughout, followed by the thudding ‘Black Glove’ remix with its murky tones and rattling effects. Cascading drums and lively trumpets is next in Silent Servant’s upbeat and infectious take, until Scuba concludes the release under his SCB alias with a high-tempo cut fuelled by funk complete with an idyllic breakdown.

Love Remixes

MOTELP04 :: Luke Slater - Love Remixes

Having made a debut on Mote-Evolver back in March, Finlandʼs Samuli Kemppi returns with another stunning EP of ultramodern techno on Luke Slaterʼs imprint. One of the key players in Finlandʼs techno scene, Samuli Kamppi reputation for making forward-thinking, boundary blurring electronic music that blends the best of the past with cutting edge sounds has seen Samuli appear on labels as diverse as Ovum, Siesta, Komisch, Prologue, Perc Trax and Octopus; illustrating perfectly why Samuliʼs style has consistently drawn attention from all corners.

Quantum Mechanicʼs leads off this four-track EP. Inspired by the abstract ambience of the late night / early morning club experience, this is a deeply hypnotic voyage through bubbling acid patterns and swaying string melodies.

Complex Numbers retains this feeling of meditative otherworldliness but ups the ante with a challenging arrangement of animated, complex percussive rhythms that run energetically over a solid foundation of throbbing low-frequency bass.

Luke Slater makes an appearance via his Planetary Assault Systems moniker; drawing out a tense and incendiary Dub Edit of Quantum Mechanics that evolves the original into a sparse, futuristic-sounding, acid-soaked mechanical haze.

Linear Function closes out the EP with a poignant yet impactful piece. Playing with the contrast between light and dark, the track transitions from iridescent melodies and ebbing strings to disorientating off-key harmonics and back again.


>> DJ Feedback
:: Cari Lekebusch: Love Samuli's outta sight Techno! Got every single track ever released - i hope! Allways full support, viva la Mote - Kitos!
:: Adam Beyer: wicked shit as always!
:: Darko Esser: Thnx!! Samuli is ON FIRE!!!! Luv it, luv it, luv it!
:: Pär Grindvik: like the whole release, samuli and luke is a great combo indeed! 
:: Orde Meikle (Slam): another great set of trax - from a cool label - playing
:: Stephan Bodzin: love quantum mechanics! dark stuff for the good moments.
:: Monika Kruse: deep shit for trippy minds. ;)
:: Pfirter: PAS Dub Edit is my fav but all tracks are good, thanks!
:: Konrad Black: Another bomb! Thanks
:: Alan Fritzpatrick: massive release, love it!
:: Dustin Zahn: Proper head fuck techno from Samuli. I expect no less.
:: Karotte: quantum mechanics & complex numbers are great. full support.
:: John Digweed: good stuff
:: Anja Schneider: Quantum Mechanics is interessting for me !
:: Harri: loving quantum mechanics
:: Mauro Picotto: Good techno e.p. downloading now, thank u
:: Jamie Bissmire: going to give Quantum Mechanic’s a bump tomorrow night in Tresor, thanks
:: Nihad Tule: The PAS Dub Edit is amazing, as is the whole EP. Love!
:: Damon Wild: Great release..Full support!
:: Nuno dos Santos: Great to see how techno is constantly evolving.. Deep and haunting future stuff! Love all 4 tracks and will play them!
:: Psycatron: these are great, Complex Numbers most useful for me
:: Camea: Love Quantum Mechanics, always happy to find some techno with nice melodics!
:: Joseph Capriati: great package and quality sound!
:: Laurent Garnier: another strong dancefloor release on Mote Evolver - full support as always


Mote020 :: Samuli Kemppi - Quantum Mechanics (P.A.S. Dub Edit)

MOTE033 :: SHIFTED :: RAZORS EP
Following the release of his critically acclaimed album, Crossed Paths, Shifted’s next release on Mote-Evolver is the incendiary Razors EP.
The EP opens with title track ‘Razors’ a six minute odyssey. Sounds are layered one on top of another and create a strictly cyclical structure. Shaking, rattling sounds helicopter overhead, syncopated noise unfurls in the mid-ground and underneath hypnotic beats are laid down relentlessly. It’s a dizzying combination.
Following on from this disorientation ‘Over’ ratchets up the BPM and rules it with an iron fist. This is merciless techno that’s full of intelligent details. Out of nowhere jangling blips and bleeps collide with feral bass. Shifted is no stranger to creating dance floor optimised cuts and ‘Over’ is the sound of a producer with a very finely honed craft.
The flip side begins with ‘Bloodless’ a title that suggests cold hearted, zestless deeds and a track that is ironically anything but bloodless. Rendered in twisted beats and synthesised noise there’s a cautionary tale to be heard, a warning about shiny surfaces that conceal deadening agendas.
The EP closes with the unsettlingly ‘Trouble’. It’s just as likely to have you listening reclined, with your eyes closed, as it is to leave you slightly paranoid looking over your shoulder. The palette is stripped back giving rise to psychologically charged atmospherica. ‘Trouble’ leaves you with far more questions than it answers.
Across the ‘Razors EP’ Shifted displays the range and diversity of his productions with refined electronic experiments next to broken beats and strange atmospherica aside lethal dance cuts.
Tracklisting: 
A1: Razors 
A2: Over
B1: Bloodless 
B2: Trouble

Mote033 :: Shifted - Razors

Mote-Evolver welcomes back Psyk (aka Manuel Anós) after his strong label debut release, Distane. For his second Mote-Evolver release, Psyk delivers yet another standout effort with four tool-oriented tracks of clean, tight, yet powerful minimalistic approach.

The title track “Arcade” that opens the EP contrasts high-energy thumping drumbeat with a hypnotic layer of syncopated rhythm. Its movement and development is subtle and organic, yet at the same time skillfully elevating the energy with joining clapping beat and hi-hats.  Following “Surface” will stay in your mind with its obsessive singularity of monotone balanced with the groove of muted heavy beat.  It’s a moody number that grabs the listeners‘ attention with certain tenacity that stays throughout the track.   

One might find B-side of Arcade EP slightly funkier; “Intern” is meshed with lighter elements like beeping sounds and clapping, providing the refreshing vibe to the EP.  However the carefully crafted dynamic and the simple, pure, and fun personality of “Intern” assures that it’s no less powerful tool for the dancefloor.  The last track “Somewhere” is perhaps the grooviest track of Arcade EP, thanks to the deep dark dubby bass that’s setting the tone properly from the very beginning.  Psyk combines and tames energy into a relaxed atmosphere for “Somewhere”, giving a breathing room for emotion that draws you deeply into the euphoric moment.  

With Arcade EP, Psyk is clearly not shying away from showcasing his skills of honing the diverse mood and texture of techno that are highly functional. 


Mote035 :: Psyk - Arcade

Mote-Evolver’s ever successful Parallel Series is now on to its fourth installment, this time with two West Coast producers - Developer and Truncate - going head to head. Pairing of the two is uncanny in many ways given their close friendship and the geographical base they share, and appears to be the perfect choice to highlight the difference between their sound and style to realize the concept of Parallel Series: contrast & compliment.   

The EP opens with “Drive Themes” by Developer, a producer who’s known for the deeply dramatic groove charged with masculine energy.  With its focused and streamlined forward-moving force, “Drive Themes” is a track of relentless agility.  “Random Attraction” maintains the same tempo but adds enticing elements of distorted shouts of melody on top of the ruthless yet smooth layers of chords and hats, all beautifully harmonized to perfection.  Developer’s contribution makes the darker and moodier side of EP and its stirring emotion serves as a nice counterpart to its slightly more lighthearted flip side.  

Fellow LA-based producer Truncate steps out of his usual sound of rock-solid and thumping techno with “Is It Skinny”, a spaced-out hypnotic track that contains a vocal sample that’s so demure and unexpected that it melts into the swirling bleeps of melodies, and you wouldn’t even notice if it wasn’t the title that gives out.  “Forty Four” is yet another track that’s born for the floor, inducing aural pleasure with its funky rolling bass dancing with congo-like drums and claps. 

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