Review: Mark Broom returns to Rekids with a release that's tailor made for dance floor use. Mutated contains eight tracks, with each one clocking in around the three-minute mark. Designed specifically for DJs to get busy with in the mix, these pieces range in style from the high-paced, Rob Hood-style minimalism of "Changing" and "Form" to tracks like "Marker" and "Stranded", whose frenetic rhythms and building chords have echoes of classic Technasia. There are some deeper tracks too, with the chord-heavy "Mutate" standing out, but no matter which direction he pushes in, this release captures the veteran producer in peak-time mode.
Review: Originally released back in 1995, this is the first time that Richie Hawtin's selection for Mixmag has been available as separate digital tracks. None of the featured tracks have aged a day, with the Plus 8 boss navigating a path through underground house and techno. There's tripped out acid from Lausen and his own Plastikman and FUSE material sitting side by side with pioneering minimalism from DBX and G-Man and the hypnotic pulses of Teste's eternal "The Wipe". Mixmag Live! also reveals a deeper side to Hawtin's oeuvre, and the trio of dubbed out tracks that the mix ends on - from Paul Hannah, Sensorama and Roman Flugel's Roman IV project - is nothing short of stunning.
Knowhat - "The Magician" (original mix) - (8:13) 125 BPM
Review: Riva Starr's Snatch! celebrate 10 years in the game in 2020, and this collection rounds up the best of their output over the latter half of that first decade. Tuff, chuggy tech-house is, unsurprisingly, the dominant sound here, but it's by no means all that's on offer - Rogue D flirts with 80s boogie on 'Take It Easy', for instance, while Soul Speech loops up Heatwave's 'Boogie Nights' on 'Soul Speech'. With tracks from the heavy-hitting likes of Max Chapman, Darius Syrossian, Steve Bug, Groove Armada, Wade and Denis Cruz, and cheeky reworks of classics like 'My Beat' and 'Pride (A Deeper Love)', there's useful ammunition here for house jocks of many different micro-persuasions.
Review: The idea that music should stay away from politics is flawed, and Break The Silence is one of the most convincing counter-arguments against this notion. Featuring unreleased tracks donated by a stellar cast of underground electronic music artists, the compilation seeks to raise funds for Campaign Zero, an initiative that campaigns against police violence in the US. With artists like Rob Hood, 4 Hero and Luke Slater all contributing to Break The Silence, the listener really is spoilt for choice while also supporting a great cause. However, the standouts come from Eddie Fowlkes and Jon Dixon, who both drop superb jazz-influenced house tracks.
Review: While many contemporary producers are mining rave influences with varying degrees of success, few have got the knowledge and sense of history as Mark Broom. This release showcases the UK veteran's expertise: the title track features wild hardcore stabs, filtered heavily and unfolding over pounding kick drums. On "Insta", the Beardman boss goes for a similar approach, only this time, sirens flow over a wobbly bass. "Midnight" is deeper, with celebratory piano lines building gradually against the backdrop of tight percussion and skipping beats, while Broom matches up old school synths with a warbling groove and evocative, looped vocals for the decidedly euphoric "Hear Me".
Review: Token has traditionally maintained a tightly-knit roster, but on this compilation it welcomes new producers to the fold. Nastia Riegel's "Pray" kick-starts Fuga with dreamy, dubbed-out techno, while Stefan Vincent's "Fever Dream" paints a hypnotic, minimal picture. On "Biomorph", Border One - who is best known for his releases on Wolfskuil - delivers a grimy, bass-heavy groove, while Dold's "My Homework Ate My Dog" and PTTRN's "Contempt/Suggest 6" are the kind of high-paced but intricate techno tracks that the Belgian label has helped to pioneer. Rounding off this fine compilation are the discordant tones of Ribe's "The Cause" and Linkan Ray's bleep-heavy "Introspective Vision".
Review: Hardgroove have released some serious names in the techno scene before now - the likes of Mella Dee, Borrowed Identity and Charles Green. It's no surprise considering Ben Sims is at the helm, and that equally explains the fact that the legendary Mark Broom has graced the label with his latest set of taut, main room club cuts. "Outta Sight" is a mean-tempered workout with a whiff of electro in the lead synth refrain, but it's not as outwardly malevolent as noisy juggernaut "L4LV". "Five/Four" has big room chords and massive splashing rides to get fists shaking - the consummate peak time belter. "TR1" takes things in a more dungeon-esque direction, using guttural rhythmic incisions to drag you into the depths of the night.
Review: UK techno veteran Ben Sims is one of the most renowned proponents of the tribal techno sound - his revered Hardgroove imprint being synonymous with such. Comprised of cuts from the Londoner's recent 'Tribology' mix-compilation, it features long time colleague and fellow London legend Mark Broom (Beardyman) on the fiercely hypnotic tool "Loop It" calling to mind his seminal work as Rue East more than a decade ago, the dub-inflected factory floor assault of Marco Bruno's "Any Given Sunday" as well as Dutch artist Cadans on the funky stomper "Bite". Closing out the EP is label regular Avision delivering the mentalist minimalism of "Rebel" geared for proper tunnel vision under the strobe light.
Review: It's been twenty years since Sven Vath's Cocoon operation set up in Ibiza; since then the label's annual alphabet-themed compilations have also come to define techno's stylistic twists and turns. According to S, 2019 clearly saw the re-emergence of trance in its various forms, from Love Over Entropy's wide-eyed abandon to Stimming's more musical approach - audible on "The Gift That Never Stops To Give". Musicality is also a common theme on the house and techno that features on Compilation S, with Emanuel Satie's "Planet XXX" resounding to melodic chord stabs and Giegling artist Edward's "End Days" favouring chattering samples and a soaring bass - inspired by E-Dancer with a modern, Teutonic twist.
Review: It's hard to believe that Gary Beck's techno has been around for a decade, and helping him to blow out the candles is a star-studded line up. First up is Chicago legend DJ Rush collaborating with the label owner to deliver the stomping ghetto techno of "Talkers". Sunčica Bari?ić aka Insolate delivers a more European-focused sound on the atmospheric, tone-laden "He Said, She Said". Changing focus again, Slam's version of JX-216's "Xingu" is a visceral peak-time affair that resounds to discordant riffs, while on Mark Broom's "Red Line", an insistent organ and firing percussion, similar to Floorplan's style, is audible. Hopefully it's the first of many birthday celebrations.
Oliver Way - "Music Is So Special" - (5:33) 128 BPM
Mark Broom - "77" - (5:00) 128 BPM
Paul Mac - "Disc Electronique" - (6:45) 124 BPM
Luis Martinez & Keytone - "Lost At Sea" - (6:31) 124 BPM
Cristian Vogel - "Tyrkisk Peber" - (7:37) 130 BPM
The Third Man - "Pipes At Helios Canyon" - (6:16) 127 BPM
Ben Long - "Simple Soul" - (7:17) 127 BPM
House Of Black Lanterns - "Drown" - (6:33) 125 BPM
Kristian Heikkila - "Konstruktion" - (6:06) 128 BPM
Esteban Adame - "Handed Down" - (5:15) 125 BPM
Review: EPM Music is a label headquartered in Maastricht, the Netherlands that has recently presented terrific work by the likes of Mark Flash, Floorplan and Mark Broom - so it's evident that purist techno sounds are on offer by this fine label. For the seventh edition of their long running EPM Selected series they certainly have a special and well curated compilation on offer that touches on the many shades of the genre- but altogether emotive, soulful and with an undeniable Motor City edge throughout. Highlights not limited to: Detroit veteran Oliver Way's fierce and functional heads-down groove "Music Is So Special", the evocative hypnotism of British legend Paul Mac's fine contribution "Disc Electronique" through to Space DJZ' Ben Long (who's back in fine form) on the adrenalised and cyclical banger "Simple Soul" and the ever impressive Los Angeleno Estaban Adame's hi-tech soul excursion "Handed Down".
Review: Mark Broom is primarily known for his techno work, but over the years he has also worked on funk and broken beat projects. The title track on this release for Rekids also marks another artistic departure, with the UK producer delivering a vocal-led, disco house groove. There's a similar dynamic at play on "Heart", where Broom drops a slightly tougher but still very soulful workout. Things get progressively tougher as the EP progresses and "Efb" sees him add surging chords and heavy kicks as the remnants of a vocal sample lingers in the background. Finally, "G Theme" sees Broom up the pace for a tough but soulful techno workout - replete with diva vocals.
Review: Two of techno's biggest names team up for this slamming release. First up, UK veteran Mark Broom delivers a 'dubplate' take on the Flooorplan standard "Never Grow Old". Broom focuses his efforts on snippets of the original vocal and wraps them around a dramatic chord build, making for a fine peak-time workout. Broom's own "Jungle" is next: like a streamlined version of his tribal techno work from the early 00s, a niggling filter and insistent claps weave their way in and out of the rolling rhythm. Hood also drops his own original material with "He Can Save You (Re-plant)", where a preacher man-style vocal is laid over a hammering, grainy rhythm and rickety back beats.
Review: The last commercial mix that Robert Hood did back in 2008 for Fabric re-ignited his career. Appearing at the tail end of minimalism, its hard-edged sounds provided a welcome relief to the prevailing sound. A decade on, the 66th DJ Kicks finds the Detroit artist once again in firing form. "Focus" signals his intent with its massive siren riff and pounding drums, while "Clocks", which builds and builds to electronic bee swarms, shows that he has lost none of his minimal techno firepower. Sure, there are other fine contributions, like Truncate's sheet metal banger "Terminal 5" and the shadowy riffs of Marcel Fengler's "Thwack" - itself a paean to Dr Motte's "Der Klang Der Familie" - but like the Fabric selection, this instalment of DJ Kicks is all about Robert Hood.
Oliver Way - "Lucky Dip" (Scan X remix) - (6:14) 130 BPM
Esteban Adame - "Out To Get It" (Anthony Parasole & Phil Moffa Reconstruction) - (7:09) 129 BPM
Oliver Way - "Lucky Dip" (Ben Long & Oliver Way Late Night Mix) - (6:24) 130 BPM
Review: London label ePM brings together a who's who of global techno for this remix compilation. Weighing in at the harder end of the spectrum are Truncate, South London Ordnance and Scan X, who deliver blistering re-shapes of Mark Broom, House of Black Lanterns and label boss Oliver way respectively. However, the more interesting versions occur when the chosen remixers opt for less obvious approaches. Claro Intelecto delivers a lush, deep house take on The Third Man; Juan Atkins rewires Esteban Adame's "Descendants" with hyper active electronic funk, while best of all, the brilliant Chris McCormack drops a spellbindingly melodic take on Ben Long's "Open Doors".
Make Me (Mella Dee Raw Traxx Mixx) - (5:13) 132 BPM
Review: Mark Broom is the UK's official tech-house don, and has been for nearly two decades. The amount of music this dude has put out never ceases to amaze us, especially for its continuity and inarguable smoothness. He's up on Gary Bek's Bek Audio, reigning down on us with an absolute blinder in "Make Me", dominating the EP with a fat, fully-locked groove driven by sensational disco vocals. "Fun 18 Mix" feels like 90s era Versatile, or the sort of tune that Gemini would have played, all blasting horns and heavy kicks, while the Mella Dee remix of "Make Me" proceeds to inject the original with yet more percussion, yet more groove and, of course, Dee's natural rawness.
Review: UK techno veteran Mark Broom returns to his own label after a flurry of releases for Epm. Starting off with the title track, Broom relives the intensity of 90s techno tracks like Joey Beltram's "Forklift" as waves of electronic riffs build over a hammering rhythm. "Loop132" is also influenced by 90s techno, with the Beard Man boss delivering a firing, slightly distorted loop-y workout. "Haven" is different again, as Broom takes inspiration from Basic Channel and Chain Reaction's layered dub but underpinning it with tough kick. The release's diverse approach continues on Chicago producer Rondell Adams' dense and noisy take on "Loop132".
Review: "Z Beats (Mix 1)", which starts this release, comes across like a slightly less intense relative to Robert Hood's classic The Pace. Firing percussion and insistent synth stabs set out the tone for Broom's latest release on ePM; on the second mix, the UK techno veteran uses a more gnarly bass and rasping hats to create a visceral sound. Truncate turns "Z Beats" into a linear, chord-heavy affair that tones down the intensity but doesn't lose sight of the club-friendly approach thanks to its snappy percussion and morse code tones. Rounding off the release and a hugely successful year for Broom is "Ot", a chord-heavy looped track.
Review: This is the second part of a trilogy that Mark Broom is releasing on ePM. The techno veteran's ear for crafting straightforward but effective tracks clearly has not diminished over the years and the title track presents the listener with a stab-heavy arrangement, played out against the backdrop of heavy kicks and niggling percussion. "77" sees Broom take influence from tracky US house, riding a shuffling, looped groove to infinity, while "LX" continues in a similar vein, led by chiming piano keys and an insistent, filtered rhythm. Striking a balance between house and techno, ePM have recruited Gary Bek to remix the title, which revolves around an organ stab and a rolling, looped arrangement.
