May 2018 techno mix

Here´s a short and sweet mix of the 8 tracks selected for May (sorry for the delay).

Playlist:
1.- Posthuman- The Damocles Syndicate
2.- M€RCY - Black
3.- Yotam Avni - Luna
4.- Hyperloop - In Your Mind (Reflections)
5.- Patrick Berg & Matt Sassari: Discovery
6.- Maceo Plex - Mutant DX feat. Maars
7.- Gary Beck - Pneuma
8.- Slam - Chimera

A new mix will be published twice a month, so watch this space!

M€RCY - Black

Denmark´s Esben Valløe and Tim Panduro (M€RCY) are gaining notoriety for their gloom-and-doom take on techno, especially in their live performances, described as "a rumbling journey through subterranean tunnels and cold Northern landscapes". This particular vision continues on their EP Black Rain, out on Tiefschwarz´s Souvenir Music, with two original tracks, as well as two remixes of Black, produced by Mathame and Skudge, respectively. The original version of Black goes into this month´s tune selection, providing it with a bit of chilling dark sounds.

Gary Beck - Pneuma

Glasgow-born producer Gary Beck is a specialist when it comes to producing no-nonsense, straight-up blistering techno, and his first 2018 release on his own BEK Audio label is no exception. Four tracks of intense noise and grooves, starting with the mechanical, grinding sound of loopy opener Pneuma, later moving on to the otherworldly beats of NTX, the jacking techno of Sythen and the heady funk of the last tune, Back Jabba. Pneuma is my selection for today.

Slam - Chimera

Glasgow´s Slam really needs no introduction at this point, since they´ve been at this since the very beginning. Techno masters who nonetheless keep evolving in their sound, they´ve been instrumental in developing UK techno, and their label Soma is one of the longest-running electronic music imprints out there, and home to many a classic record. Their Blue Dragon EP is a hard-hitting collection of tunes, a testament to their knowledge and experience, where the spacey and the distorted, the acid squelch, the hard clanging rhythms and the tweaked out all coexist. 

Patrik Berg - Discovery (Feat. Matt Sassari)

Matt Sassari teams up with Patrik Berg for their Discovery EP, released on Monika Kruse´s classic Terminal M label. The French and German team produce unapologetic, no-nonsense techno beats, topped with impressive synth riffs and stabs, for a heady, lose-yourself-in-the-music effect. The title track is a jittery, frisky, unstoppable monster, with resounding kicks, a killer bassline and many layers of madness.

Hyperloop - In Your Mind (Reflections)

Riva Starr turns to making proper techno in Mentalizm, his side project Hyperloop´s release on Drumcode. Teaming up with Green Velvet on opener S-Sound, he then goes on to produce two other bangers, of which In Your Mind carries the most thump. A fitting release for this legendary techno record label.

Posthuman - The Damocles Syndicate

UK duo Posthuman, made up by acid enthusiasts Richard Bevan and Joshu Doherty, present two new tunes on their The Damocles Syndicate EP, out on Shipwrec, where they turn down the beat and let the mighty 303 simmer and pop, spewing killer bass lines, especially on the title track, a 10-minute exercise on the art of slow burning techno goodness.

Yotam Avni - Luna

Yotam Avni is a very accomplished DJ from Tel-Aviv who has released three very engaging, intelligent pieces of techno on Scuba´s Hotflush label, known for delving into the more cerebral and chilly side of the dancefloor. Luna opens the EP, and immediately draws us in with a deep bassline and pounding beats, before launching itself into the stratosphere by adding a mysterious vocal that permeates the whole track like a thick, icy fog. 

Maceo Plex - Mutant DX feat. Maars

Maceo Plex is back at it, after last years´ excellent Solar LP, and this time he brings his wife (aka Maars) for three driving, dark and hypnotic cuts of melodic techno. Released by German label Correspondant Records, this EP further demonstrates that this producer and DJ does not wish to box himself into any specific genre.

2018 already?

It´s been a long hiatus and I feel just like Rip Van Winkle waking up, although it´s only been a three-year slumber and not the full 20 years this guy spent in dreamland. Anyways, I think the time to continue posting music in this here blog has come once again, and there´s a lot to catch up on.

First, some new plans for what´s left of 2018, including more and more techno mix sessions on Mixcloud (the latest one is right below these lines), as well as the re-launch of my Mixlr radio web page (http://mixlr.com/courin-edge/) as soon as I finish configuring my home studio (really just my laptop, my Pioneer DJ controller and my simple-yet-powerful sound system). I´ll post the live sessions schedule once I figure everything out, so keep an eye on this blog!

What hasn´t changed is my love for music, with techno deeply embedded into my heart and soul. These years there´s been a LOT of new, amazing music, music worth sharing and writing about, and I feel bad for not keeping this blog active during this time, but life does not always make it easy to find the time to write and publish, and I´ve also been kind of lazy about it, so, let´s say blame is 50/50 on me.

But it´s a new, shining, beautiful day, and we have a lot to look forward to. So, I will make my best effort to keep bringing you new tunes to discover and enjoy every day, and to constantly be thinking of new ideas to keep you, and myself as well, interested. It´s a fairly easy job, as long as the tunes are good this blog will be good too (I hope!).

So, new mixes, new live sessions, new tunes reviewed every day, new energy and new ideas, starting on this day, May 24, 2018. And to start things off, here´s a mix: