A gifted musician in possession of an array of talents, Luc Angenehm has caused quite a stir within the underground dance fraternity. With a growing collection of outstanding original material to his name, the "Kaiserkraft" EP for Proton Music broke new and exciting ground. Already receiving a quartet of remixes across two EPs for the label, a third, this time for Particles, once again extends Angenehm's work.

San Francisco based, Mark Slee, is a name well-known across the bay area and beyond. Passionate about his work as DJ and producer, Slee has been heavily involved in the music industry since co-founding the House-Heads collective in 2008. In tandem with regular gigs across San Francisco, appearances at "Burning Man" and to international acclaim in South Africa and Mexico, Mark's "Heron Sound" show for Proton Radio has also showcased his talent as taste-making DJ. As a producer, Mark Slee has been a firm favourite on Jondi and Spesh's Looq Records, with additional work finding its way on to the catalogues of Submarine Vibes, Cityfox and Lucky Sun. Furthermore, the formation of his co-owned Manjumasi imprint, with Atish, has proved an enormous success with a roster that includes Nico Stojan, Brian Cid and MUUI.

A trio of high-profile remixes for Proton Music have been combined with a single rework of Vitamindevo for Particles as Mark Slee now returns to the label with a typically polished affair. An elegantly crafted, deep percussive groove holds sway with sumptuous bass line variation, as melodic elements from Angenehm's original are juxtaposed against the hypnotic rhythmic patterns. A wealth of original production is in full evidence as stuttered motifs keep interest high in a work of skill and poise.

On Australia's south-eastern coast, Nick Retz has hit a rich vein of form through his Retza production moniker. Responsible for the "Rework Podcast", Retza's DJ skills have seen his diary increasingly filled, driven by inspiring performances at the likes of "Rainbow Serpent Festival", "CHI WOW WAH" and on the international arena, while Rework itself "is a collective of DJs and producers that came together…to push techno and house on the dance floors of Melbourne's underbelly." 

As a producer, a growing portfolio of material has found its way onto the likes of Lo-Fi 45, All Day I Dream and Watergate Records, supported by the underground DJ elite that includes, Kasey Taylor, YokoO and fellow countryman, Jamie Stevens. Now making his Particles debut, the Retza remix of "Kaiserkraft" lives fully up to its "Day Dream" title. A rich, low-slung groove drifts across a near nine-minute voyage that revels in dream-like melodies and pads that bleed into each other in unhurried fashion. Ever-evolving, a canopy of sound in the mid to upper frequencies gently covers the hypnotic rhythms below, creating a post-breakdown third movement that cleverly revisits Luc Angenehm's original elements in inspiring fashion to create an ethereal and opulent offering.

Remixes from Mark Slee and Retza still find Luc Angenehm very much the master of "Kaiserkraft".

Directed by Jay Epoch
A&R by Marina Gerardi
Mastered by Cid Inc.
Design by Ben Mautner
Text by James Warren

Kaiserkraft (Mark Slee Remix)

Particles