The June Mix, Part 2

It´s time for another mix, using the music reviewed in this blog from June 16 - 30. This time things start at a strong pace and pick up in intensity as the session goes along, passing through many different sides of techno: melodic, funky, hard or just plain weird. 

Tracklist: 

1. Tone Depth - Errors
2. Matt Sassari - Seigneur Gondor
3. Frankyeffe - The Sun
4. VNTM - Be A Freak
5. ANNA - Razor
6. Thomas Evans  - Because I´m
7. Hell Driver - Exoplanet
8. Kaiserdisco - Salacia
9. Drunken Kong - One (Michael Klein Remix)
10. Flug - Rave
11. Blawan - Vented
12. Roberto Capuano - Define
13. Enrico Sangiuliano - A Further Existence 
14. Camea - NAF97
15. Martin Eyerer - El Circulo

Matt Sassari - Seigneur Gondor

Matt Sassari certainly keeps himself busy these days, with release after release of quality original tunes and remixes. This time, on the Seigneur Gondor EP, released by Kneaded Pains, he brings two very different tunes that nonetheless keep true to his own adventurous style. The title track has a techy beat and quirky samples, while Olum adds wobbly bass to the weirdness.

Roberto Capuano - Define

A Neapolitan artist who has immersed himself in dance culture since an early age, Roberto Capuano has since produced music that has been released by labels like Drumcode, Phobiq, Truesoul and Analytic Trail. His Define EP comes from Suara and is composed of four earth-shaking original tracks, of which we highlight the title track, with booming, menacing kicks and a sinister voice sample.

Martin Eyerer - El Circulo

For the Bedrock XX anniversary set, John Digweed recruited some of the most creative minds in techno music, resulting in an impressive collection of first-rate, cutting edge music made specifically for the occasion. Digweed then proceeded to compile and mix these tracks and produce two sessions of pure quality. Martin Eyerer was one of such artists, bringing his darkly melodic style of thundering techno, where arpeggio synth notes ride along the beats, in an epic nine-minute track.

Kaiserdisco - Salacia

Ever-busy German duo Kaiserdisco keep up their unmistakable house-meets-techno style in Salacia, their debut on Tokio label Session Womb. Thundering kicks face off against in-your-face stabs, in a frenetic track that´s sure to please many a dancefloor. 

Hell Driver - Exoplanet

French up-and-coming DJ and producer Hell Driver reaches into the lights and shadows of techno, often edging over the darkness, but managing to keep enough balance in his music to not fall over completely. Exoplanet, for example, a track included in the Yin Yang Bombs Compilation number 35, carries a menacing, stomping kick that is nonetheless enlightened by a nervous and jittering synth line. A peak-time tune that can blow a dancefloor away.

Tone Depth - Errors

By incorporating texture and composition into his sound, Tone Depth looks to move forward unto the next step in the evolution of techno, setting aside traditional elements of the genre and introducing some unexpected changes and atmospheres. Like in his The Odyssey Pt. 2 EP, out on the great fryhide, where melody takes over the shuffling rhythms, creating evocative moments like the first track Centuries. On Errors, Tone Depth adopts a tougher stance to produce a gritty sound, with dive-bombing synths buzzing along the beat.

ANNA - Razor

Named Best Breakthrough Artist at the 2016 DJ Awards in Ibiza, Brazilian DJ and producer ANNA is now based in Barcelona and has enjoyed a steady rise in the international techno scene, thanks to an increasing presence at clubs and festivals around the world, and also to a quality body of work spread across some of the best dance music labels, like Kompakt, Turbo, Suara, Get Physical, etc. Her Razor EP, on novamute, includes three original tracks that seem to teeter on the edge between darkness and light, ranging from the edgy Dreamweaver and the otherworldly Escapism to the dramatic title cut, which is our highlight for today. 

Frankyeffe - The Sun

Italian electronic music artist Frankyeffe has produced massive tracks for labels like Phobiq and Kombination Research, delivering superbly arranged, engaging techno that has gained great support from many top-tier DJs, and from audiences in dance floors around the world as well. His latest release on Filth On Acid features haunting vocals from Liz Hill and a remix from Mees Salomé.

Thomas Evans - Because I´m

French DJ and producer Thomas Evans has a knack for finding and exploiting the deepest, darkest corners of techno, bringing out unique melodies and rhythms, and creating music that´s been played and supported by some of the biggest names in the scene. He has worked with labels like Phobiq and We Are the Brave, the latter of which has just released his Because I´m EP, three slices of gut-busting, head pounding techno, including the intense and driven title track.

Camea - NAF 97

Trained musician, DJ, producer and label head, Camea is a multi-faceted artist from Seattle based in Berlin, devoted to creating enigmatic and melodic techno that´s become her trademark and made her a sought-after name to play in clubs and festivals around the world. She released the NAF 97 EP on her own Neverwhere label, featuring two original tracks and their respective remixes by Markus Suckut and Matrixxman. The title cut is an expansive and hypnotic affair, with plenty of bass, a strong rhythm, and a dark, sinister breakdown. 

Enrico Sangiuliano - A Further Existence

Enrico Sangiuliano is a DJ and producer from Reggio Emilia, a city located between Parma and Modena, in Northern Italy, who has been a staple of the Italian rave and techno scene since the late 90´s. His productions have been praised by the likes of fellow countryman Mauro Piccotto and played by well-established DJs such as Sven Vath, Adam Beyer, Gregor Tresher, Alan Fitzpatrick and Secret Cinema. His latest album, Biomorph, was released by Drumcode on June 1st, a collection of very high-quality techno that includes gems like the grumbling Cosmic Ratio, the intense Symbiosis, and our selection for today, A Further Existence, which is included as a digital-only track. Melody and rhythm intertwine each other to produce a very engaging, emotional track.

Flug - Rave

Led by stormy synths and backed by a solid beat, Rave evokes the anarchic feeling of open-air parties and the madness that takes over late in the night. Produced by Flug, an Argentinian DJ based in Barcelona, Spain, this EP, released by Suara (from Barcelona as well), features remixes by label boss Coyu and by Matrixxman, each one focusing on a different aspect of the track, making it a collection that will cater to those with a taste for harder-edged techno.

The June Mix - Part 1

It´s time again to compile all the tunes we´ve selected these first 15 days of June, mix them together and present the result to you faithful readers. This session begins with the lovely Booya Boy by PanTone and progresses from the more melodic to the harder techno, ending with the blistering, white-hot Wrong Meta by Deapmash.

As always, it´s a real pleasure to select and mix the best techno tracks out there, and I hope you enjoy listening to it as much as I enjoyed making it. So here´s 1 hour of uninterrupted, cutting-edge techno.

Tracklist:

1.- Booya Boy (Original Mix) by PanTone
2.- Excelsior by Costello
3.- Hex (Original Mix) by OC & Verde
4.- Again Again by Hidden Empire
5.- Underground Diva (Matt Sassari Remix) by Nerdjack
6.- Crank (Original Mix) by Octave One
7.- Heat It Up (Original Mix) by Loco & Jam
8.- On My Way (Original Mix) by Marco Faraone
9.- 51 by Philip Bader
10.- 12 Hours by Ray Kajioka
11.- Droogs by Rhyw
12.- Keep the Funk by Fjaak
13.- Five by Falcon Black Ops
14.- Pestered by Juxta Position
15.- Wrong Meta by Deapmash

Rhyw - Droogs

Driven by a growling bass and crawling along twisted cymbals and chirping effects, Droogs is definitively a prickly ear worm boring a hole in your mind. Produced by Rhyw and released by TH Tar Hallow, this is a tune that does not let up, creating chaos and mayhem all along its path, like an out-of-control steamroller. 

Juxta Position - Pestered

A simple, hard and bouncy tune, Pestered by Juxta Position nonetheless hits all the rights spots when it comes to well-produced techno. On the Elixir E.P., released by Figure, this Berlin artist shows us what he´s able to conjure up by using analogue sounds and different takes on the style, resulting in four very distinct cuts that stand on their own.

Nerdjack - Underground Diva (Matt Sassari Remix)

Starting from the trippy, jacking original by Nerdjack, Matt Sassari refashions the house beats and trades them for a harder-edged techno base, keeping the flow of the tune while making it sound heavier. It´s a stomping extravaganza, complete with a mysterious vocal sample and buzzing effects. Released by the great Kling Klong.

OC & Verde - Hex

Manchester duo OC & Verde give us elegant and melodic techno on Hex, released by the great Filth on Acid. The title track contains a myriad of different layers, textures and feelings, an impressive production that sucks you in its vortex and keeps you mesmerized as it progresses and builds up into epic proportions. A great cut that should be an essential addition to any self-respecting techno DJ.

Ray Kajioka - 12 Hours

Reverb and echo take center stage in Berlin-based DJ, producer and live act Ray Kajioka´s 12 Hours E.P., released by MATTER+ Records. Dubby techno full of atmosphere and rising and falling cymbals, backed by a solid beat and subterranean bass. A real treat for those who love this kind of trippy, meditative take on techno. The E.P. includes 2 original tracks and a remix of the title track by Truncate.

Marco Faraone - On My Way

In-your-face and unapologetic, this is a bare-bones cut that nonetheless fills the room with its jacking beats and dry vocals. Marco Faraone promises to have a busy year and, with this crackin´ tune, the Italian producer leaves us wanting some more. The EP, released by Rekids, includes a very different take on the track from Bristol producer Addison Groove, who reconstructs it in his own unique style.