Drumcode - part 2

OECUS Premiere // Hattori Hanzō

Extract from "Genetic Drift" [OM008] - @obsmus
Release date: 20th August 2021

In the recent emergence of this mysterious alias, Hattori Hanzō has changed a lot of things in the techno scene. However one thing that's remained consistent is how startlingly sophisticated his productions are.
The opener 'Genetic Drift' embraces his taste for radical non-Western bells welded onto cutting-edge club music polyrhythms. Soaking in spooky atmospheres, perfect for the darkest and sweatiest of dance floors. The highly charged energy on 'Natural Selection' fuels steady build-ups and syncopated toms, with a menacing noise stab out amid the controlled chaos. 'Dogmatic' attempts to lure you into shadowy, narrow spaces beckoned by an evil laugh sample beneath while being attacked from all directions by spaceships.  'Phenotypic Variation' is a compelling package of hypnotic drone, ascending zaps and spiralling synths. Closing the release with 'Moravian Scientist' clad in snaking synth lines and warped textures distilled into the purest form of psychedelic techno.

Artist: Hattori Hanzō - @hattori-hanz-500995865
Title EP: Genetic Drift
Label: Observant
Format: Digital
Catalogue: OM008

OECUS Premiere YouTube: https://youtu.be/I355dgRqExw
Observant Bandcamp: https://obsmus.bandcamp.com

Genetic Drift

OECUS Premiere | Hattori Hanzō - Moravian Scientist [OM008]

Out now on Rekids: lnk.to/REKIDS192

Although based in Berlin for several years, Dustin Zahn has continued to exert influence over the fertile but steadfastly underground Minneapolis techno scene as part of the Intellephunk collective whilst cultivating a worldwide rep via releases for Blueprint, Token and his own Enemy Records. The ‘Gain of Function’ LP sees Zahn channelling the groove-fuelled techno of the late ’90s and early ’00s and shaping eight powerful but funky contemporary techno tracks that display the decades of experience under his belt. 

Forged from a series of live jams with two drum machines and two synths, the album is a refined collection of raw, purist techno brilliance. Across the A-side ‘Tell Me About Paradise’ brings shimmering staccato chops under bright and airy percussion before ‘Tangie Groove’ picks up the pace with floating pads, vocal slices, and a rumbling bassline. On ‘Lucid Dreams’, scattered percussion plays with hypnotic synth licks, while ‘Smoking in Silence’ sees off-kilter leads dancing between emotive vocals and evolving drum loops.

Opening the second disc is the deep and shuffling ‘Crimson Cheeks’, with trance-inducing samples nestled between sharp drum hits and rolling synthesis, and ‘Days Like These’ takes a darker turn as twinkling arps and droning pads carry the track. ‘Shark Rodeo’ featuring Jeremy Black mangles samples into a dense rolling affair, before closing number ‘Next Level Looseness’ drops the 4/4 pattern for a raucous club track, combining oddball sound sources and unruly production techniques for a trippy finish to the album. 

Since the late ’90s, Zahn’s hypnotic and driving techno has consistently caught the ears of top DJs and labels worldwide, with anyone catching his marathon sets at the likes of Berghain exposed to expansive sets. In addition to his techno-heavy catalogue and DJing prowess, Zahn has lent production and engineering skills to bands and singers, recently working with Poliça and on Carm’s Pitchfork approved eponymous album. Beyond this, his vital work with Intellephunk includes the nearly two decades long running Communion after-hours events, cementing his invaluable contributions to the scene

Dustin Zahn

Smoking In Silence

Dustin Zahn - Smoking In Silence

Stephen Brown is an institution when it comes to cutting-edge Detroit Techno made in Europe and therefore needs no introduction! Having recorded for legendary labels like Transmat, Djax-Up-Beats, Music Man, Subject Detroit and in recent times for rather new and promising imprints like Heliocentric Music, Skudge and Indigo Aera he has always been on top of the game since almost two decades and knows how to convince with his trademark hi-tech soul. His new release called Illuminace EP marks the return of Mojuba sublabel a.r.t.less and brings two killer tunes from the vaults of the Realtime label boss, while the a-side with SD1 aims clearly at the dancefloors of our beloved underground clubs, the b-side with Free & Easy comes along with a great portion of compelling emotions and funk!


Stephen Brown - SD 1 - A.R.T.LESS 2191 A (Preview)

TRACKLIST:
01. Linear System - Tunneling
02. Oxygeno - La Cara Que Esconde
03. RNGD - Structural Perception
04. Ricardo Garduno - Immature Stage
05. Irazu - Motionless
06. Verschwender - Anxiety, Always Haunting Me
07. Not A Headliner - Newtype
08. Giordano - Rec3102023 Live

Gordo Trax is back with the third edition of their various artists compilation, 'A Tota Virolla,' and it's safe to say that rarely do you come across so many standout names from the international underground scene all in one release. This compilation brings together producers from Spain, Mexico, Germany, and Italy in a perfect blend of styles, textures, rhythms, and atmospheres. 

From order to chaos, from hypnotism to shock, from groove to rawness, and from the club to the after-party without a pit stop at home. In this collaborative sonic endeavor, we find eight producers in their prime, distilling their sound to its purest form: unfiltered brilliance. 

Linear System, Oxygeno, RNGD, Ricardo Garduno, Irazu, Verschwender, Not a Headliner, and Giordano have crafted an album that will feel like the soundtrack at the gates of hell, while the condemned souls embrace their destiny: dancing on the brink of the abyss until judgment day.

@linearsystem
@oxxxygeno
@rngdelectronics
@ricardogardunomusic
@irazu-1
@verschwender
@giordano

Artwork by Fausto.jpg
Master by SCHRZØ

Buy Now

Oxygeno - La Cara Que Esconde

LachrymaL’s "Ruptura Espacial EP" embarks on a methodical futuristic journey with a modern touch creating a dynamic sci-fi narrative with four original tracks that blend intricate, emotive, and peculiar atmospheres. Accompanying this release are acclaimed artists offering their interpretations: Eduardo de la Calle, Elias Garcia, and Salbany. Each artist contribute in their unique ways, crafting cinematic tools that engage in an ongoing conversation with diverse sonic perspectives. In these remixes, the hardware is palpable, with elements from the original tracks interwoven alongside new touches, finding balance through toms and pads delivering a highly personal approach.

As we start the year, we anticipate unpredictable modular resonances spanning ambient, breaks, and solid techno tracks, keeping LachrymaL’s position as one of the figures redefining his voice not as an appearance, but through the message conveyed delicately and subtly through his music.

LachrymaL - Ruptura Espacial EP

01. LachrymaL - Frecuencia Abisal
02. LachrymaL - Neurónika
03. LachrymaL - Subconsciente Modular
04. LachrymaL - Máquina Resonante

05. LachrymaL - Frecuencia Abisal (Elias Garcia Remix)
06. LachrymaL - Neurónika (Eduardo de la Calle Remix)
07. LachrymaL - Neurónika (Salbany Remix)

Artwork: Telmo Moranguinho
Mastering: RT-60 MASTERING + KTC Mastering (Eduardo de la Calle Remix)

O’Clock . Out in 12nd march 2024

LachrymaL - Neurónika (Eduardo De La Calle Remix)

Artist: Chloe Lula
Title: Torpor EP
Label: Blueprint Records
Cat. No: BP079
Format: Vinyl / Digital
Released: 18 October 2024

Track Listing:
01. Intro
02. Pattern Recognition
03. Recoil
04. Smiling In Slow Motion
05. Magnesium

Following on from September's "Sonic Underworld EP" by Shlomi Aber & Kashpitzky, James Ruskin's label delivers another first as Chloe Lula presents her Blueprint Records debut with the "Torpor EP".

Chloe is a resident DJ at Tresor.  She's played at Berghain, Boiler Room, Khidi, Movement weekend in Detroit, and countless clubs, festivals and parties across Asia, Europe, and North and South America alongside artists like Kanding Ray, Helena Hauff and Lewis Fautzi, becoming known for atmospheric, acidic sets that dig deep into the niche recesses of techno.  In addition to her career as a DJ and producer, Lula is a cellist—her debut instrumental full-length will be out on James Ginzburg's Subtext label in November 2024—and the senior producer of Resident Advisor, where she hosts and curates panels and interviews as a broadcast journalist at festivals like Nuits Sonores, Dekmantel, Unsound, Rewire and more.

Her debut on Blueprint, "Torpor" is a reflection of her stylistic evolution, bringing the sounds of ambience and synths into a clean, contemporary techno framework.  A lifelong reader, each track—and the EP's name itself—pays homage to a book or piece of writing that has been influential in her development as a writer and an artist.

Chloe Lula's "Torpor EP" is released 18 October on vinyl and digitally.


www.blueprintrecords.net
https://soundcloud.com/chlo-lula
https://www.instagram.com/chloe.lula

GTG Premiere | Chloe Lula - Magnesium [BP079]

Our next premiere is from a fresh label coming out of Medellín, Colombia with label head @red_noisedj debuting the inaugural release. With title track 'Medium' we have a chunky hypnotic groover with heavy percussions shifty leads and grimy textures. A super promising release that is sure to be the start of a wonderful project.

Purchase here:
https://10-24.bandcamp.com/album/medium

Follow the label here: 
@1024r
https://www.instagram.com/ten_twenty_four__/

Follow the artist here: 
@red_noisedj
https://www.facebook.com/RedNoiseCol/
https://rednoisedj.bandcamp.com/



AF Premiere: Red Noise - Medium [1024][OUT!!02.12.24]

[mldcs020] - OUT NOW
Exclusively on Bandcamp and will be on all streaming platforms.
https://mouldaudio.bandcamp.com/
-
Release Date: 14.12.2024
-
Credits:
Written & Produced by
Ruben Ganev
Mastering by Ruben Ganev
Artwork design by
Ruben Ganev

Collector's Series | 20

[mldcs020]

Kyosei [mldcs020]

Having developed an impeccable reputation in the past twenty years since delving into the word of turntables and mixtapes at an early age, Sims can be called a genuine legend in the world of techno. As a producer he has remixed Jeff Mills, Chris Liebing, Adam Beyer and Kevin Saunderson as well as releasing on just about every seminal techno imprint there is. As an A&R he’s been at the helm of nine labels, including the highly influential Ingoma and KB Records inc, and continues to steward Theory and Hardgroove towards the boxes of the discerning fans. 

Most recently the London-based producer has seen his ‘Way Back Wednesday’ (with Tony Anderson), ‘Funk You’ and occasional disco radio shows garner huge support while ploughing further energy into the futurist techno club night “Machine’ alongside Kirk Degiorgio. 

It’s with Sims’ multitude of achievements and notoritey in mind that the knowledge that ‘Smoke & Mirrors’ is his debut LP is somewhat unbelievable, but fact it is. After initially hooking up with Adam Beyer’s Drumcode imprint late in 2010 after a long standing friendship, the affable and dry witted Sims’ was persuaded to deliver an LP and the lengthy writing and selection process began. The result is 11 superb productions which showcase Ben’s talents, influences and perhaps most importantly, his vision of what techno can and should be. 

From the off ‘Smoke & Mirrors’ is a technicolour affair that refuses to sit too comfortably into one groove, preferring to pull the listener through a range of vibes that, while disparate, flow together perfectly. As the album moves, snippets of new vibes bleed through before developing into themes and this is one of the brilliant elements of ‘Smoke & Mirrors’.  

The rousing and prophetically titled ‘Riots in London’ opener leads us into a frenetic, dub-tinged and filter-driven aesthetic which is neatly carried on in ‘Descent’ but subtly augmented with almost-there soulful vocal samples. This nod to soulful elements is then carried on in the less pacey, house referencing ‘ The Snake’ which fuses stabbing keys to a skipping beat which is as much New York as it is Detroit, London or Berlin. 

As ‘Smoke & Mirrors’ develops, suprises like the out-and-out tech-funk of ‘Back To The Pod’ and the street party disco of ‘Can You Feel It?’ are hinted at but never lack surprise when dropped. The emphatic drive of the huge sounding ‘I Wanna Go Back’ featuring Blake Baxter takes things back to techno territory and does so with real purpose while darker edged tracks such as the lethal ‘Bullet’ and the late-night discordance of  ‘The Afterparty’ ramp up the tension. 

The twilight sections of Sims’ debut are perfectly judged. The dubbed (and blissed) out title track lightens the mood before the slightly more aggressive but widescreen ‘The Calling’ trips proceedings out in anticipation of the closer, the Tyree Cooper vocalled and aptly titled ‘I Feel It Deep’

‘Smoke & Mirrors’ has been more than worth the wait. It’s as balanced, entertaining, engaging and powerful as you’d expect from such an artist as Ben Sims and, complete with artwork from Alan Oldham and collaborations from Blake Baxter and Tyree Cooper, is essential stuff.

Ben Sims - Bullet

Ben Sims - The Calling

Ben Sims - Miss Out On Monday

Artist: Ben Sims 
Title:  Smoke & Mirrors 
Label:  Drumcode 
Release: 27th October 2011 
Format: Vinyl / CD / DigiCat No:  DCCD005 

Late-October sees the long awaited release of Ben Simsʼ debut LP, ʻSmoke & Mirrorsʼ, on Swedish techno imprint 
Drumcode.  
 
Having developed an impeccable reputation in the past twenty years since delving into the word of turntables and mixtapes at an early age, Sims can be called a genuine legend in the world of techno. As a producer he has remixed Jeff Mills, Chris Liebing, Adam Beyer and Kevin Saunderson as well as releasing on just about every 
seminal techno imprint there is. As an A&R heʼs been at the helm of nine labels, including the highly influential Ingoma and KB Records inc, and continues to steward Theory and Hardgroove towards the boxes of the discerning fans.  
 
Most recently the London-based producer has seen his ʻWay Back Wednesdayʼ (with Tony Anderson), ʻFunk Youʼ and occasional disco radio shows garner huge support while ploughing further energy into the futurist techno club 
night “Machineʼ alongside Kirk Degiorgio.  
 
Itʼs with Simsʼ multitude of achievements and notoritey in mind that the knowledge that ʻSmoke & Mirrorsʼ is his debut LP is somewhat unbelievable, but fact it is. After initially hooking up with Adam Beyerʼs Drumcode imprint late in 2010 after a long standing friendship, the affable and dry witted Simsʼ was persuaded to deliver an LP and the lengthy writing and selection process began. The result is 11 superb productions which showcase Benʼs talents, influences and perhaps most importantly, his vision of what techno can and should be.  
 
From the off ʻSmoke & Mirrorsʼ is a technicolour affair that refuses to sit too comfortably into one groove, preferring to pull the listener through a range of vibes that, while disparate, flow together perfectly. As the album moves, snippets of new vibes bleed through before developing into themes and this is one of the brilliant elements of ʻSmoke & Mirrorsʼ.   
 
The rousing and prophetically titled ʻRiots in Londonʼ opener leads us into a frenetic, dub-tinged and filter-driven aesthetic which is neatly carried on in ʻDescentʼ but subtly augmented with almost-there soulful vocal samples. This 
nod to soulful elements is then carried on in the less pacey, house referencing ʻ The Snakeʼ which fuses stabbing keys to a skipping beat which is as much New York as it is Detroit, London or Berlin.  
 
As ʻSmoke & Mirrorsʼ develops, suprises like the out-and-out tech-funk of ʻBack To The Podʼ and the street party disco of ʻCan You Feel It?ʼ are hinted at but never lack surprise when dropped. The emphatic drive of the huge 
sounding ʻI Wanna Go Backʼ featuring Blake Baxter takes things back to techno territory and does so with real purpose while darker edged tracks such as the lethal ʻBulletʼ and the late-night discordance of  ʻThe Afterpartyʼ ramp up the tension.  
 
The twilight sections of Simsʼ debut are perfectly judged. The dubbed (and blissed) out title track lightens the mood before the slightly more aggressive but widescreen ʻThe Callingʼ trips proceedings out in anticipation of the closer, 
the Tyree Cooper vocalled and aptly titled ʻI Feel It Deepʼ 
 
ʻSmoke & Mirrorsʼ has been more than worth the wait. Itʼs as balanced, entertaining, engaging and powerful as youʼd expect from such an artist as Ben Sims and, comfrom Blake Baxter and Tyree Cooper, is essential stuff. 

DJ SUPPORT FROM: ADAM BEYER, SLAM, BEN KLOCK, MARCEL DETTMANN, CARI LEKEBUSCH, TECHNASIA and many more.

Adam Beyer - Simple Maze (Original Mix)

Tim Rutten 2

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