Review: The eighth instalment of Cocoon's Dots And Pearls compilation series starts on a light note. JOSS' "Assessing" is a melodic techno track powered by cascading snares and swirling pads. In a similar style is Emanuel Satie's "When I First Met You (I Knew You Were The One)", where angelic voices and soaring strings make for an uplifting track. There's an edgier sensibility on Denis Horvat & Skarn's chugging "Triii", reflected also on Aocram & Ramsey Neville's acid-led "Brooklyn Structure".
The mood continues to darken with the EBM influences of Alex Bau's grinding "Antidot", while the ever-reliable Redshape resurfaces with the pulsating "Ghost Story". But it's only a temporary situation and Harald Bjork's "Aluco" rounds off the release with an ominous tranced-out track.
Review: On reflection, a collaborative EP between Irish electro don DeFeKT and German duo Extrawelt may not have seemed like the most likely creative partnership. But Sven Vath's Cocoon imprint has made this alliance a reality. In fact, on this two-tracker both producers effortlessly combine their styles. "Cell Sync" sees a fusion of pulsating bass and mysterious synths making for a dramatic electro-techno track. On "In The Space Of", the approach is more grainy but just as effective. DeFeKT and Extrawelt come together to sprinkle growling acid lines over a rolling, bass-heavy groove and dusty drums - the end result is the very best of both worlds.
Review: Boasting a huge lineup of artists to get things rolling, Cocoon Recordings employs the likes of Levon Vincent, Benjamin Damage, Orlando Voorn and Space Dimensions Controller (to name a few) on this much anticipated Cocoon Compilation U. From the atmospheric opener by New Jackson to the distinctive funk of Ian Pooley's "DDG Talk", or the impulsive tech house of "Il Rotori" - each number here contributes a unique flavour to the compilation that brings together a seamless blend of pulsating beats, hypnotic rhythms, and mind-bending soundscapes that transport you into a world of pure sonic bliss. Our tip goes to DJ Tennis' smooth "Take It Take It" with that bassline and undeniable 2000s quality punctuating a compiled LP of world class quality.
Review: Sven Vath's album "Catharsis" pulsates with life-affirming energy, now revisited and revitalised by an array of acclaimed artists in an electrifying remix collection. Roman Flugel, Benjamin Damage, Robert Hood, Planetary Assault Systems, Mano Le Tough, and more join forces, imprinting their unique signatures onto Sven's DNA, creating an exhilarating counterpart to the original release. From Damiano von Erckert's Balearic sunrise remix of "Silvi's Dream" to Robag Wruhme's intricate minimal funk transformation of "The Worm-hole". The journey progresses through Jonathan Kaspar's brooding take on "We Are," Krystal Klear's euphoric trance version of "Feiern" and Benjamin Damage's uncompromising reimagining of "Mystic Voices." Detroit legend Robert Hood leaves his mark on "Butoh" followed by a cosmic rework of "Nyx" by Planetary Assault Systems. The collection tenderly concludes with Florian Hollerith's second interpretation of "Silvi's Dream," for a lingering memory to live on.
Review: Raxon makes a long-awaited return with the captivating 'Robotalia' on the legendary Cocoon Recordings. The Egyptian-born, Barcelona-based artist delivers two heady tracks that dive deep into futurist soundscapes. The title track takes you to a parallel dimension of machine-driven sounds on this seriously slinky and hypnotic groove, while the moody atmosphere of "Kryptonite" immerses you in an alien offworld, with stuttering vocals and dramatic chord stabs. Raxon's mastery shines through, making this release another must-listen.
Review: The Cocoon compilation series has become an unofficial state of the nation statement for modern house and techno, and the latest instalment is no exception. It features deep, Detroit styled grooves from Damiano van Erckert and Stephen Brown alongside more accessible minimal house from Claude Von Stroke and murky, analogue jams, including the layered, dubbed out Daniel Avery track, "Your Future Looks Different in the Light". The compilation series has also been successful in spotlighting emerging artists, and volume T is no exception, as it shines a light on Yokto's bass-heavy deep house and the swaggering electro-techno of Defekt's "Terraform".
Review: Catharsis is Sven Väth's first artist album since 2002's Fire. As the vocal on the acid-tinged opening track "What I Used to Play" outlines, it does indeed reflect his 'musical footprint from different decades'. "The Worm" is the kind of bass-heavy minimal track you'd expect to hear during one of Vath's epic sets, while "Mystic Voices" is an intense techno banger, powered by a grinding low end and chain mail percussion. At the other end of the spectrum, the album reveals less documented sides to the Cocoon owner's palette. "The Inner Voice" is a dreamy electro jam, "Being In Love" is a mellow break beat workout and the title track sees Sven indulge his predilection for Asian influences, resulting in a loose percussive jam.
Review: Ahead of his long-awaited new artist album, Sven Vath provides a taster of what to expect. "Mystic Voices" rides a pulsating groove and throbbing bass, with a ponderous male vocal intoning the track's title. Shot through with evocative synth lines, it draws on the Cocoon boss' long trance and techno heritage with style. "Butoh" is quite a different proposition; inspired by the veteran DJ's travels to Asia, it sees him fuse layer upon layer of traditional percussion with a malevolent, acid-laced rhythm. These elements provide the basis for Cana Hatsushiba's ethereal vocal contribution. Both tracks set the scene for one of this year's most anticipated techno long players.
Review: The lockdown meant that Sven Vath had the opportunity to spend time in the studio, making music instead of playing it. Now the first fruits of the Cocoon owner's Covid production period are available. Feiern, which appropriately enough is the German for 'celebrate', provide a taster for an imminent artist album. It is also sure to dominate dance floors. Powered by an ominous electronic bass and a mysterious vocal narrative, it's exactly the kind of rousing techno you'd expect Vath to spin. On the dub version, the absence of vocals serve to accentuate those moody bass tones, while the radio edit offers a condensed take that could well cross over into the mainstream - even more reason for Sven to celebrate.
Review: After a string of releases on Ouie and Kompakt, Jonathan Kaspar makes his debut on Cocoon. This is an expertly executed EP that draws on the legacy of German trance, minimal and techno to deliver a really distinctive set of tracks. "Last Romance" is an unusual track that brings together glitchy percussion and majestic synth sweeps. However, instead of going for the jugular, Kaspar keeps the tempo down to create an alluring, infectious track. This theme continues on "Off The Shore"; set to a mid-pace, it allows Kaspar the opportunity to drop a teased out arrangement that is full of subtle sound effects and deft percussive twists and turns. Of course this being Cocoon, there is also a dance floor focus, and this comes on the title track, where Kaspar drops a simmering, moody slice of tranced out techno that will prove irresistible to DJs.
Review: It's hard to believe that Cocoon is celebrating its 20th anniversary, but what's not difficult to grasp is that Sven Vath's imprint is marking the occasion in style. Rampa and Emanuel Satie kick-start this compilation with emotive, tranced out tracks - in particular Rampa's "2000" is particularly poignant - while Cocoon mainstays like Gregor Tresher and Ricardo Tobar up the pace with the musical but clubby techno of "Nostalgia (Is The Enemy)" and "El Eterna" respectively. As always, Cocoon strikes a flawless balance between showcasing local producers and international names; 20 Years is no exception and features frazzled acid from Josh Wink as well as steely percussive bangers courtesy of Planetary Assault Systems and Jacek Sienkiewicz.
Review: Egyptian born, now Barcelona-based DJ and producer Raxon returns for his first solo release on Frankfurt's Cocoon Recordings, after contributing "The Turbulent" to 2019's Compilation S. Deep techno is the order of the day on the moody "Doom". This one is an equally slinky and hypnotic journey that's perfect for the warm-up, with its roaring bass and trippy pitch shifted vocal effects. Raxon goes for a less ominous and more uplifting vibe on second offering "2121" which takes its cues from Italo disco, complete with vocoded melodies, cosmic aesthetic and seriously low slung groove all round.
Review: Following up the terrific 'Little We Know' EP a mere few weeks ago by Hamburg heroes Extrawelt on Traum Schallplatten, they are right back with this amazing full length on the powerhouse Cocoon imprint.15 years into their careers, it was never their plan to release a 'best of' album, but here it is. 'Extra Welt Hits' is a time capsule drenched in the essence of the act's DNA. Accentuated by newly remastered tracks that serve their ever evolving, clever and out-of-the-box sound. Highlights come in the form of the brooding minimal funk of "Fernweh", the ethereal and introspective remix of Minilogue's "The Leopard" and the slinky and hypnotic live version of "Dark Side Of The Room".
Review: Despite this summer being a write-off, this autumn release by Gregor Tresher provides a taster for a hopeful resumption of clubbing and festivals in 2021. The title track revolves around a seductive, low-slung groove that's peppered with airy synths and supported by a squelchy bass. The overall effect is like an updated take on Get Physical's classic melodic house sound. "Pariah" is tougher and darker as Tresher moves to the big room. Dramatic synth stabs cut through the pounding groove to create an expertly executed peak-time track. On "Witchcraft", he returns to more tranced out territories, with a pulsating groove underpinning melodic flourishes.
Review: Following 2019's Yuzu, Klein returns to Cocoon with this powerful techno EP. The title track is a riotous affair, with wild acid lines unfolding over a pumping groove and punchy drums as Klein makes a nod to the menacing synths of Frankfurt's past. In contrast, "My Castle" is a lean, rolling affair, with a tight, rolling groove populated with steely percussion and visceral, filtered stabs. But as "Their Kingdom" and "Noises" both demonstrate, old school influences are never too far away, and Klein drops tranced out hooks that swirl over rolling techno rhythms and tough drums - exactly the kind of material you'd expect Sven Vath to spin.
Review: Harald Bjork has been making music since the mid-00s and is a contemporary and friend of Petter, who has released on Border Community. There are similarities in approach between the two artists, and Shiftings shows that Bjork has an intuitive ability to craft beautiful, bucolic melodies. This is audible on dreamy ambient pieces like "Carry Through The Winter" and the glitchy down tempo "Weasel Magic" of "202 Day". But it's also audible when Bjork picks up the pace to deliver acid-flecked club groovers like "Waldmeister" and the snaking, sinewy rhythm of "Medan Du Sov", a hypnotic affair that'll light up discerning dance floors.
Review: Cocoon's Dots & Pearls series has been successful in putting new artists side by side with more established acts - and volume six is no exception. With a focus on the deeper side of house and techno, this instalment features "Origo", a rumbling electronic groove from emerging Diynamic / Watergate act Adana Twins and Frankfurt producer Fabe with a melodic tech-house cut, "Call Of Origin". Representing the more established acts is Eduardo de la Calle, who drops a trippy, dubbed out minimal house track, "I'm Losing My Mind", featuring Romina Cohn on vocals and Michael Klein's rave-heavy "Continuation". However, it's one of the new kids who steals the show, with Radu Dracul delivering the deep, bleep-laden techno of "Spectrae".
Review: Having been such the civil servant to an unwieldy scene it's always a pleasure to see legends arnd staunch advocates of their sound make their way onto Cocoon. With the boom of ice cannons and confetti, Landstrumm arrives on the label with some deep, trippy and well inspired electro sounds, with the smooth club-aggro and bassline bounce in "Purple" a nice start. The record pulls slightly leftfield with with the computer electronics and baddass vocals of "Catnatized", with the title track "Sun Universe" your direct route to a sour-faced electro-rave banger.
Review: Call us old school (or show offs) but we can remember the edition of Sven Vath in the mix back in 2002, where the German techno icon went back to back with legend Richie Hawtin. for an epic mix that's still talked about. The man from Frankfurt is still going with the series and once again carefully curating the very best in contemporary techno flavors - and mixing it altogether with his distinct Midas touch as always. Highlights not limited to: Life & Death affiliate Joseph Ashworth on the epic dancefloor drama of "Trooper", the ever reliable Swede Dorisburg doing his idiosyncratic style of deep tribal trance on "Internet Tension" and the surprising addition of Salon des Amateurs resident Charlotte Bendiks who goes into sublime mesmerizing territory on "Pasco". On the harder end of the spectrum, there are top shelf bangers from the likes of ROD ("Cambodia"), Inigo Kennedy ("2c3d2") and Detroit legend Robert Hood with "Reflector".
Review: Having put out music for labels like Second State and Micro.fon, Michael Klein now finds his way to Cocoon with this dynamic two-tracker. The title track is sure to be a big-room sensation; featuring wave upon wave of acid and a relentless, grinding riff, this wild sonic fusion is underpinned by a hammering, percussive rhythm. It's exactly the kind of track that label owner Sven Vath would drop at peak time. "Eureka" isn't quite as frenetic, but its dramatic stabs, coupled with niggling, metallic hi-hats and pounding kicks, are sure to propel Michael Klein to techno's mainstream.
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: Apir is the alter ego of UK producer Tim Green, whose decade long relationship with Frankfurt's Cocoon Recordings culminated in last year's acclaimed Her Future Ghost LP. Here, together with New York freshman Justin Marchacos, they collaborate on the deep and emotive tech house journey of "Holocene" powered by its driving groove. This is followed by the slinky and hypnotic entrancer "The Fifth" and its absolutely infectious melodic bassline. Either track is an electronic soundscape of epic proportions, built for a huge soundsystem and best experienced under cover of a warm, balmy summer night.
Review: Frankfurt institution Cocoon throws us a curveball in the form of this minimal pop ditty by local legend Markus Nikolai, one of the great minds behind the legendary Perlon imprint who is joined by Ole Schulte as International Anything. They return with their sophomore effort, following up their debut on Perlon earlier this year with another boompty lo-slung effort in the form of "Running In the Underwood" featuring some super catchy vocals. On the remix is one of Kompakt's main men, the inimitable Michael Mayer, who provides a stellar rework which goes down a frantic and adrenalised electro route. Second original offering "See Where You Are" similarly goes down a (proto) electro route in the vein of legends Kraftwerk on this robotic slice of heaven.
Review: Hollerith previously released on a number of Cocoon compilations, and now finally gets the chance to fly solo. It's an exhilarating journey; the title track chugs along with understated menace, with a rickety rhythm powered ahead by a dark, murky bass and muddy beats. Listen closely and you can even hear some breathy vocals in the background. On "Love Summer", he uses vocals again, but this time integrates them with a stop-start, stripped back techno rhythm. This unusual approach is also audible on "Electro Indianer", where he layers eerie synth lines over rolling drums to create a mesmerising slice of modern club techno.
Review: Back in 2002, "Disco Rout" propelled Danny 'Legowelt' Wolfers from the Dutch West Coast underground to Ibizan big rooms thanks to its catchy nature and also due to the support of Cocoon. Now it re-appears in time for the 2019 summer season, albeit in remixed format. Tuff City Kids deliver a rolling, percussive take on the original, but let Legowelt's catchy synths shine through. For CatzN' Dogz, their version's focus is a pulsating electronic disco groove, while the latest reshape from Younger Rebinds sees the tempo increased and a slightly more ominous undercurrent added to those distinctive synths. Seventeen years on, Rout is still sure to cause mayhem in Ibiza.
Review: Oliver Kapp has been making and releasing techno for the past quarter century and brings this expertise to bear for this release on Cocoon. The title track recalls the deeper approach of Kapp's seminal Raygun imprint, with melodic echoes and whispers unravelling over a robust groove. On "Rapture", the veteran producer opts for a more stripped back, tracky approach, with a vocal sample looped against the back drop of a rolling tribal groove. Kapp ups the intensity levels and tempo on "Loud Whisper", with a tough rhythm and insistent filters prevailing, while "Sketch" is a mean, rolling affair, led by rasping bursts of percussion.
Review: Volk's latest EP for Cocoon may surprise some followers of Sven Vath's label. The title track after all centres on a massive, pulsating electronic groove that draws inspiration from the Hi-NRG and Italo of the late 70s and early 80s rather than the imprint's usual techno sources. Having said that, there is no mystery as to the appeal of "Awareness". While it also has a groovier feel than most of Cocoon's output, its frazzled bass and receptive, one-note riffs combine the raw energy of early 00s minimalism - and is exactly the kind of track one could image Sven Vath himself dropping.
Review: As one of the most feted labels in techno, it's not hard to imagine that Cocoon receives a ton of demos. Fittingly then, the Dots & Pearls compilation series shines a light on the type of music that is bubbling up from the underground via the label's inbox. Youandme's"Claret Loss" sets a high standard, with its lush strings underpinned by a robust groove. Similarly, Florian Hollerith's "Ohrenzirkus" - which also features on label owner Sven V?th's Sound of the 19th Season - strikes a balance between the musical and the functional as deranged horns unravel over a gritty back drop. Maintaining this melodic feeling is Petar Dundov's beautifully mournful "Pyroelectric". However, there is another side to this equation, with Marc Romboy dropping the menacing bass-led "Sequential Error". Irrespective of the mood however, Dots & Pearls V is sure to become an integral part of this year's clubbing soundtrack.
Review: Pig & Dan have enjoyed a long and productive relationship with Cocoon that stretches back over a decade. The pair's latest release on Sven Vath's imprint will not disappoint fans of their big room sound. First up it's the title track; over understated beats, they lay down a moody, pounding bass and niggling, metallic percussion before letting loose with a wild, system-levelling filter. "Lost Another Angel" isn't as visceral; based on a similar, rolling rhythm and featuring a menacing bass, this time it's all about the melancholic melodies, Weave their way up through the arrangement, it guarantees that the Spanish duo will find favour with trance DJs as well as techno selectors.
Sven Vath In The Mix (The Sound Of The 19th Season Part 1) - (1:16:32) 125 BPM
Sven Vath In The Mix (The Sound Of The 19th Season Part 2) - (1:08:51) 127 BPM
Review: It's hard to believe that it's been almost two decades since Sven Vath's Cocoon night and label decamped to Ibiza, bringing techno to the island's masses. Of course it was never that simple, and as the 19th instalment of Vath's annual mix series shows, there was always a deeper side to Cocoon parties. This is articulated in the form of DJ Ease's remix of his own Nightmares on Wax project, Love Over Entropy's beautiful deep house / techno track "9576" and the spine-tingling piano keys of Adam Port's "Do You Still Think of Me?" That said, Vath still has his finger on techno's pulse as the building "Dark Commodore' by Fabrice Lig and the rolling, filtered and aptly named "Cocoon" by Ilario Alicante demonstrate.
Review: Unknown is Extrawelt's fourth artist album and sees the pairing of Arne Schaffhausen and Wayan Raabe try something different. It's clear from the vocodered vocals and Italo-inspired melodies of "We Are Asteroid!" that the pair have gone down a new route. This becomes more evident on the atmospheric electro of "Fischmarkt On Acid" and the somewhat more abstract 808 shuffle of "Ausloser". While fans of the German duo's trance-influenced techno may balk at the direction that Unknown takes, this is an assured, innovative album. As the pulsating bass and magnificent synth sweeps of "Ort Und Impuls" show, Extrawelt's dive into the unknown is to be welcomed.
Review: Acclaimed live act Strahil Velchev aka KiNK is said to have been a vital ingredient of Cocoon's ecstatic nights on the island over the years. The man from Sofia offers up a recording of one of his explosive performances there, featuring well known tracks and exclusives alike on what the label best described themselves as a 'spontaneous tour de force through the history of electronic dance music.' As always, the Bulgarian hardware maverick takes the best of The Windy City and The Motor City alike, and all the while adding his distinct magic touch. It's a wild ride from start to finish, with peaks coming in at moments like that of "The Russian" with it's massive Detroit style chord progressions, the heads-down and direct techno attack of "Kink In De Kabel" through to last year's thrilling anthem "Perth" and the uplifting "Disco Transition".
Review: Young Berlin based producer Kevin De Vries returns, with more of his trance inspired techno sounds that have previously made waves on top labels Afterlife and Drumcode. His latest offering surfaces on the massive Cocoon imprint - let's not forget the hit "Time Traveller" was one of the most played tracks by chief Sven Vath back in 2016 - which proved to be an extremely successful year for De Vries. Harsh yet hypnotic arpeggios make for proper tunnel vision on the dancefloor with "Meraki", while the uplifting "Sonorous" (in collaboration with Weska) allows perfectly for moments of euphoria with its rich tapestry of melodies. Finally "My Blurred Dream" is a fitting title for this late night chugger, experly geared for heads-down moments under the strobe light.
Review: Ilario Alicante continues his long-running association with Sven Vath's label with this no-nonsense but individualistic club release. "Cocoon" is powered by a hammering kicks and bursts of white noise, but it also features a stuttering vocal sample and atmospheric Detroit elements that accompany the spiraling snare rolls. It's a tough but musical affair. "Scelta" is based on a similar approach, with heavy, acid-soaked kicks leading into dramatic, break downs and breathless builds. The title track sees Alicante also deploy musical elements, but on this occasion, he speeds up and slows down the pace as a trance-led sequence unravels. "Senza" is the most laid back of all tracks, but again the Italian producer flexes his musical might to deliver a deeply atmospheric, dub techno workout.
Review: The legendary Dutch producer Martijn Hoogendijk aka Alden Tyrell (of Clone Records fame) teams up here for some main room bangers with Berlin based American Kevin McHugh aka Ambivalent: who has had a productive past decade recording for such respected imprints as m_nus, Ovum Recordings and Kompakt in addition to running his Delft and Valence imprints - where he records as acid expert LA-4A. The Detente EP brings the furious warehouse style bounce of the title track (featuring some relentless drum work!), the dusty and greyscale dub techno workout of "Dutchless" and the totally heads down and strobe-lit affair of "Wallfall" that is reminiscent of Jell Mills seminal Waveform Transmissions series.
Review: When a veteran like Sven Vath continuously plays your tracks, you know that you're doing something right. Rico Puestel provided Vath's label with three killer Eps last year, and he follows this salvo in style with Equity. The title track is a mesmerising mixture of rough, tribal drums and tranced out but somewhat sinister rave stabs. Like Caravel, Puestel's previous outing on Cocoon, it is destined to be played out at big rooms. "Immunised" is just as potent, with the fast-rising producer fusing a pulsating electronic groove with steely percussion and repetitive rave hooks - exactly the type of wild techno that Puestel's patron loves to spin.
A Little Story About Time & Space - (7:14) 129 BPM
Review: Lifeworld boss Johannes Volk ha moved on with his impressive run of Jeff Mills tributes and fair play to him - he has released on The Wizard's revered Axis imprint in the past. The German producer now appears on the Cocoon powerhouse following up greats ones on Dial, Token and Avenue 66 with some driving, trance infused techno on "Tears & Walls". It is jam packed full of grinding, euphoric arpeggios and geared for true elevation - all the while supported by his signature steely rhythms. Second offering "A Little Story About Time & Space" is indeed a fitting title - this emotive science-fiction journey will propel you into the stratosphere. With its intricate melody and emotive pads, it'd be great to help create a transition to or from the harder grooves in your set.
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