It is ironic that just as Marcel Dettmann appears to be branching out from the Ostgut stable, through his mix for Music Man and now this EP for 50 Weapons, he comes out his purest, most refined techno record yet. No one is suggesting that the Berghain resident has split with Ostgut or is neglecting his own MDR label, but it is an undeniable fact that no matter what he releases on, classic 90s techno influences form a key part of his musical DNA.
This is audible on “Duel”; functional yet subtle, it owes a debt to the loopy techno of the 90s, caught somewhere between Mills’s Purposemaker releases and the UK variant it spawned, as a dense, filtered groove rolls to a backdrop of tight claps and insistent riffing. This being a 2011 release, the tempo is slower than the records it is influenced by, with the drop in bpms lending “Duel” a mushier, groggier feeling.
“Deluge” on the other hand, is far closer to its source material. A wiry, squelchy serving of minimal techno, it recalls Dan Bell in pared back, 7th City mode, while its jarring, jack-knifing central riff is every bit as visceral as Robert Hood. Irrespective of where he’s putting out music, the purest sounds are at the core of each Dettmann track.
Fresh from a storming set at last weekend’s Amsterdam Dance Event, it has today been revealed that Berlin techno deity Marcel Dettmann will release an EP on Modeselektor’s 50 Weapons imprint.
The new Kojak Sounds twelve from Maxxi Soundsystem proved there was still plenty of life in the edit yet, spending less than twenty fours in the Juno warehouse before completely selling out – who would have thought Alexander O Neal would prove to be so popular?
Artist: Commix Title: Re: Call To Mind Label: Metalheadz Genre: Drum & Bass, Dubstep, Techno Format: 2xLP, CD, Digital
Oxford Dictionary have just confirmed that the new definition of heavyweight is simply a photo of this ridiculously impressive Commix remix album. Both Metalheadz and the Cambridge duo deserve a golf clap for selecting the cream of the techno and dubstep crop to rework tracks from their seminal album Call To Mind. Burial’s remix finally sees release after two years of lurking in the Metalheadz archives, but the droning atmospherics of his rework is more than matched here. Kassem Mosse drops a heavy techno throb atop the oscilatting rhythmic stutter of “Strictly” whilst Steve Spacek’s voice is married to abrasive half step syncopation that punches through the mid frequency bass of Pangaea’s remix of “How You Gonna Feel”. Dave Huisman delivers another superlative turn as A Made Up Sound transforming “Change” into a mind bending industrial techno/dubstep cross pollination. Underground Resistance equal this in the impressive stakes with a remix of “Satellite Song” that ripples with futuristic menace. Essential!
Ace Berlin bass demons Modeselektor have announced the full tracklist for Modeselektion Vol1, an 18 track CD compilation that features a heavyweight cast of international producers currently entrenched in the post dubstep sound.
As Juno Plus revealed back in May, Cambridge duo Commix will release a remix album of their debut LP Call to Mind, featuring heavyweights from the world of dubstep and techno.
UK drum and bass duo Commix will release a collection of their own tracks remixed by a select group of techno, house and dubstep cognoscenti, including Marcel Dettmann, Burial, Pangaea and A Made Up Sound.
Marcel Dettmann, resident DJ at current world mecca of techno clubs, Berlin’s Berghain produces no-nonsense, deep thumping proper techno. His remixes in the past for Fever Ray, Modeselektor, and Scuba have elevated the originals with a vital sense of tech edginess.
Dettmann Remixed is a prelude to his forthcoming debut album on Ostgut Ton, Berghain’s in house imprint which has recently released phenomenal tracks by techno luminaries Ben Klock, Basic Soul Unit, and Levon Vincent. These four remixes of original non-album tracks by his close friends Norman Nodge and Wincent Kunth are very personal and individual interpretations of the music Marcel Dettmann has turned into the sound of Berghain.
Nodge’s mix of “Shift” is a straight-up tech workout with repetitive crackling vinyl sounds to lure you in as they become a mantric part of the percussion. “Unrest” is wicked throwback to the grainy minimal techno reminiscent of Surgeon and Regis- you know, before minimal got so clicky and clean. Throw this track on to school anyone new or seasoned on the way to create a no-gimmicks, techno-induced dancefloor.
Kunth’s two remixes veer more to the abstract side, but never lose sight of its 4:00am dancefloor intentions. “Wound Up” is a killer track with dubby wash sounds that your feet will know what to do with once your mind catches up and processes it. Choice cut! Dettmann Remixed is a recommended tasty appetizer for the main album which drops in April.
SECURE SHOPPING
