steppin

Techno #4

DEEP DARK TECHNO

techno

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Libertad (Danny Wabbit)

Helmed by two longstanding legends of the scene, our next installment pays tribute to the Benelux techno connection as we welcome Dutch maestro Steve Rachmad under his Sterac alias and Token boss Kr!z to the fold. Each contributing a brace of the typically elegant hard-hitters they’ve become so widely reputed for, the pair has us swinging in balance between proper floor-destroying potency and mind-expanding otherworldliness. A homage to the uncluttered and beautifully escapistic vision they’ve advocated throughout their career and continue to push in their various endeavors, RYCL019 is a feast for the purists as much as a compellingly future-facing manifesto: classic in essence but vanguard in its quest.

Holding the reins of the A side, Rachmad gets the ball rolling pedal to the metal. ‘Muff Case’ is genotypic Sterac material with its surgical uptempo groove and malleable analogue membranes leaning against a sci-fi-indebted scenario. Twisting gridlocked 4x4 semantics whilst his trademark machine funk runs the voodoo down in euphoric style, the Amsterdam-based magician has us hanging onto each bar’s end as we’d be watching a thriller: eager and excited for the next shift of gears. A deluge of chromatic arps and subtle chord distortions agitate the sleek surface of ’Strike Icer’ - a euphorically effervescing and inch-perfectly built slice of liquid-like techno pyrotechnics, congealed into something of a classic for the future ahead. Lovers of Rachmad’s precise yet richly-hued blends shall rejoice, for the Dutch producer flexes the refined brilliance and implacable relevancy of his sound in an epoch not so highly regarded for its risk-taking, soul-searching qualities.

Cross the other side and here’s Belgian techno don Kr!z laying it down badman style. True to its name, ’Sorcerer’ is a spell of unrelenting techno boggle, tailored to withstand the heaviest DJ use without losing any of its punishing grit. As blunt synth arpeggios keep looping in and out of focus, from sub-end depths to foreground in-your-face’ness, Kr!z harnesses a wild bassy storm, inbound for total floor obliteration. Shifting the angle onto deeper envelope fine-tuning and lysergic mind-games, ‘Lightworks’ fuses a sense of weird acid sensuality with the incisiveness of crisp drum patterns and bass-heavy aggression. Shining through the squelchy layers of FX-laden baselines, Kr!z’s emphasis on textural interplays and rhythmic overlaps blazes to further devastating effect.

*This bad boy comes pressed on 70% blue 30% white marbled vinyl. Artwork by the talented Laura Arteaga Charlton. Design by Jillem.

A1 written & produced by Sterac; published by Steve Rachmad Publishing
A2 written & produced by Sterac; published by Steve Rachmad Publishing
B1 written & produced by Kr!z
B2 written & produced by Kr!z
Distributed by Clone Distribution Rotterdam
Artwork by Laura Arteaga Charlton, Design by Jillem
Cat. no. RYCL019 – All Rights Reserved
℗ & © Reclaim Your City 2023
www.reclaimyourcity.bandcamp.com

Lightworks

RYCL019 - Kr!z - Sorcerer

Insomnia

Shattered Beliefs

GEISTFREI - Shattered Beliefs

System Failure

Free Download

GEISTFREI - System Failure

The excitement builds with the unveiling of the first cut from the EP, 'Illusions,' propelled by deep hypnotic basslines and driving off-beat percussive elements, weaving seamlessly in unison with Forward Fox’s trademark ethereal pads.

https://soundcloud.com/forwardfox

Written & Produced by Siobhan Krelle (aka Forward Fox) Mixing by Francis Xavier
Mastering by Cirrus Audio
Visuals by Adam Scarf Photography
RELEASE DATE: 16 FEB 2024 PLAY LENGTH: 05:49 SOUNDCLOUD (PRIVATE): HERE ASSETS: HERE STREAM/DOWNLOAD: HERE

PREMIERE: Forward Fox - Illusions

Kameliia - Less Effects [Overbalance]

Bandcamp: geistfrei.bandcamp.com/album/sensitive-mind

Track: Sugiyo
Album Name: Sensitive Mind
Artist(s): GEISTFREI
Release date: 10.05.2024

Inner Chaos

GEISTFREI - Inner Chaos

Oceanic

GEISTFREI - Oceanic

Adam Beyer is back on Drumcode with an impressive array of tracks that will get the senses tingling and shows us what Drumcode is all about. These 4 tracks are deep and almost melancholic in their approach to techno, using effects to really help enforce an ambience only Beyer can achieve within his productions. The under lying throbbing of the drums drives this EP into the forefront of the heads down Drumcode sound and have been heard in many of Beyer’s phenomenal sets throughout the year.

Adam Beyer - What You Need - Drumcode - DC141

@luke-slater, AKA Planetary Assault Systems, enlists a crew of forward-thinking artists to reimagine cuts from his discography on new EP, ‘Reassembled’

The project is out 28th March via @mote-evolver – and have an exclusive first listen to ‘Desert Races (Luke Slater Reassembly 2025)’ now

More info: https://djmag.com/listen/premiere-planetary-assault-systems-desert-races-luke-slater-reassembly-2025

Premiere: Planetary Assault Systems ‘Desert Races (Luke Slater Reassembly 2025)’

Free Download: https://hypeddit.com/pres-mvmnt/positiveinfluence

Artist: Pres
Title: Positive Influence
Label: MVMNT_Series
Catalogue: MT01
Format: Digital
Genre: Electronic Techno
Release Date: 10/04/2025
Mastering: Pres
Artwork: Pres

EP buy link: https://mvmntseries.bandcamp.com/album/pres-protocol-ep

Social Links Pres:
IG: www.instagram.com/pres.mvmnt/
SC: @26031999

Pres - Positive Influence [MT01] (Free Download)

A1. Phase Fatale - Kekkai

London-based DJ and producer Theo Kottis steps into a defining new chapter with his debut EP on fabric Originals. 

'Drone / Momentum' sees him channel his signature sound through the venue’s rich legacy & forward-thinking ethos. The result is a bold and genre-bending body of work, shaped by both personal reflection and creative momentum.

Drone was born out of angst - heard through the powerful synths, weighty baseline & unrelenting energy, capturing the tension of that moment.

Drone / Momentum

Drone [Radio Edit]

Theo Kottis - Drone [fabric Originals]

Isotopes

Sequoia

This is the third track of 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐈𝐋𝐕𝐄𝐑 𝐂𝐀𝐆𝐄 cycle

Abyss

Buy link: https://xxlabrecords.bandcamp.com/album/the-skin-between-us-part-1-2

Release Name: Bone and Signal
Track Title: No More Shell
Artist: François X
Label: XXLAB
Catalog: XXL009
Release Date: 20/06/2025
Format: Digital
Artwork: XXLAB

François X
@francoisx
https://www.instagram.com/francois_x/

XXLAB
@xxlabrec
https://www.instagram.com/xxlab75/

________

RAW
Website: https://raw-people.com
Instagram: https://instagram.com/rawppl
Bandcamp: https://rawppl.bandcamp.com
Soundcloud: @rawppl
Facebook: https://facebook.com/rawppl
Youtube: https://youtube.com/c/RAWppl
Spotify: https://spotify.link/KdBmfeIJdDb
Beatport: www.beatport.com/label/raw/89186
Telegram: t.me/rawpplaA

Buy Link

Premiere: François X - No More Shell [XXL009]

FJAAK - Rekorder

The Lossless Self EP is a two- track pack heavily influenced by dark and tribal sonic aesthetics. The output is a result of resampling organic drums, layered low ends, washed out highs, and a focus on telling simple yet concise rhythmic stories. 

The goal was to create juxtapositional compositions where there is a clear contrast between gritty/distorted elements and softer elements such as the synthesized pads in Generative Chase.

Sequoia

Paul Hauck