Review: "Teach Me" was originally released on Drumcode back in 2014 - and now label boss Adam Beyer hands the creative reigns over to Amelie Lens to provide two storming remixes. Unless you have been hiding up a gum tree for the past few years, it will have been impossible to have avoided her rise to stardom. Releases on Second State, Elevate and Arts, as well as unmissable gigs have raised her profile faster than her peers - and these reworks provide an insight into Lens' popularity. The main mix is a bruising, grungy workout that drops and builds to the sound of vocal samples, rolling break beats and a visceral bass. Meanwhile, the acid version will sear its way into your consciousness with a 303 line that stings as badly as a dying wasp.
Review: No Defeat... is Beyer's first solo EP in five years and was recorded during lockdown. For a producer who made his name with the drum-heavy Swedish sound, "Park People" may come as a surprise. Featuring slurred, repetitive vocals and the kind of synth hook that might not sound out of place on a Hacker record, it resounds to an uplifting, filtered groove. Meanwhile on the title track, Beyer picks up the pace with a pulsating bass and a steely rhythm that underpin dramatic vocal samples and rousing guitar riffs. It makes for a dramatic - and quite different - approach from one of techno's big names.
Review: Drumcode head honcho Adam Beyer and Chicagoan legend Curtis Jones (aka Green Velvet) had discussed writing music together for a long time. Also, Beyer's protege Layton Giordani had admired the mohawked Jones' work for as long as he could remember. When he got to DJ alongside him at Belfast's Shine - the spark and subsequent friendship was immediate. The outcome of this respected trio's musical journey comes in the form of "Space Date" which will be familiar to many who've followed their sets over recent months. Featuring a relentless main room stomp with steely hats and droney synth leads, all accompanied by Green Velvet's trademark vocal delivery. The thunderous peak time energy of "Rome Future" is likewise guaranteed to rock the house - that killer Reese bassline particularly is sure to blow the doors off!
Review: This collaboration, originally released last year on Adam Beyer's label, now gets two different but equally effective remixes. First up is the Pleasurekraft pair with a peak time version. Underpinning the original track's vocals with a visceral bass, heads-down drums and murky riffs, it strikes a flawless balance between being functional and Pleasurekraft's idiosyncratic sound. John Monkman, who has released on Kompakt and Crosstown Rebels, has also supplied a remix. At first, his take sounds understated thanks to its low-slung rhythm and a more subtle use of the vocals, but a series of drum rolls quickly propel it towards the big room.
Review: Alan Fitzpatrick returns to Drumcode, marking his first appearance since late 2016 when he remixed Moby's hit "Porcelain".The release opens with "Brian's Proper Dun One", a track which caused a storm on his Twitter profile when he first started playing it last year. Loaded with sharp and pounding drums, this is a no holds barred, certified main room anthem! "Wait A Second" has been getting a lot of play on Drumcode Radio of late. This rave inspired track takes a raw, stripped back approach and delivers a killer blow. Alan sampled the vocals of MC r1bbz from an LTJ Bukem tape pack from the early 90s and the record tips its cap to early jungle raves around the M25. The release closes with "Trance, Init?" a homage to Fitzpatrick's days as a raver before he became a DJ. The breakdown is sure to be a hands in the air moment at festivals all over the globe this summer.
Review: Glasgow based DJ and producer Harvey McKay is up next for Drumcode, with a bit of help from his brother Ryan here as Alias. This will be his fourth release for Drumcode since making his debut for the label back in 2013 with the terrific Lost EP. A staple of such esteemed imprints as Soma, Suara and Bedrock in recent times, the Visions EP is packed full of perfect big room bangers: much like you'd expect from the guy. Kicking off with the industrial strength stomp of "Pentatonic" which is stripped right down to the bone and full of "Spastik" style snare rolls, "The Truth" then gets some Robert Hood style adrenalised cyclicity going on. Finally we've got dark and slamming tool techno of "Dream Taker" that goes straight for the jugular. A grinding, hypnotic and downright riveting thriller for the peak time.
Review: With a slew of inter-threaded releases to her name since 2012 Brazlian DJ and producer Anna has slowly ascended through the ranks of techno by the way of releases for Novamute and Kompakt Extra. This has come by the way of labels like Twin Turbo and Terminal M with her arrival at Drumcode coming with three deep and driving techno tracks designed for warehouse play. Full throttle Detroit acid rears its head at large in "Dimension" while "Phase Two" sends in a deeper sail of luminous scandic trance and linear Italian techno. The title track merges both previous styles substituting acid lines for percussive bass stabs, with the added touch of rave atmospheres and arpeggios. Missiles.
Review: This is Skills' eighth release on Adam Beyer's label and it shows that the Dutch producer has developed a lot as a producer. Skills covers a lot of ground on this four-tracker, but the listener is never left with the sense that he has spread himself too thinly. The title track is a detuned, rolling affair, while "Fifth Gear" sees him adopt a straighter approach with its acid tones and tough, loopy rhythm. "Starfighter" takes its cues from the Sandwell school of techno and sees doubled up claps support subsonic bleeps. As a final salvo, there's "Rising Sun", where Skills draws on the legacy of Sterac for a deep but driving Detroit-style affair.
Review: Bart Skills has enjoyed a long-running relationship with Drumcode and Bells is his sixth EP on the label. While the Dutch producer is well-known for his heads-down, drum-heavy tools, the title track resounds to hypnotic bells and spine-tingling acid builds, coming across as a slightly more club-friendly take on Efdemin's sound. Of course, fans of Skils' linear productions - which includes label boss Adam Beyer - won't be disappointed with this release; the soaring bass and driving rhythm of "Ocean Drive", as well as the doubled up drums and infectious vocal samples from Rozalla's 'Everybody's Free? are effective but highly distinctive big room tracks.
Review: Bart Skils' association with Drumcode stretches back almost a decade, with the Dutch producer bringing his clubby take on techno to the label on a series of EPs. The same approach is audible again on the title track, where dreamy synths are fused with a dense bass and tough, rolling drums. Meanwhile on "Tropical Heat", haunting vocal samples are interwoven with rough electronic tones as Skils brings the throbbing rhythm to an irresistible climax. "Shiva Says" is just as impactful, but involves a different approach, with a series of filtered drops and wiry acid tones underpinning pounding drums and a rhythm that slams hard.
Review: Boxia has already released on Shadow Child's Food Music and Alan Fitzpatrick's label, but his debut EP for Drumcode is sure to introduce him to an even bigger audience. "No World Order" resounds to a rolling groove, crashing snares and frazzled acid lines, but it isn't a typical big room track, and right at its heart is a looped vocal sample. Vocals also play a role on "Only Human"; fused with trance stabs and a massive snare build is a mysterious female voice. The UK producer dispenses with such subtleties for the heavy acid of "Unreal", while the title track is sure to appeal to those who prefer a more nuanced take on techno, thanks to its soulful vocal sample and frosty hooks.
Review: Over the past few years, Boxia has built up his profile thanks to releases on We Are the Brave and Drumcode. These Eps have acted as tasters for his debut album, which lands on Adam Beyer's label. A Night... starts impressively with the title track, a streamlined, linear affair; the epic, fist-pumping builds of "Under The Bridge" and wild acid pirouettes on "Complex Club". The UK producer displays a more measured version of his dance floor productions on the vocal sample-heavy "Unofficial Everything" and "Out of Focus", where he combines tripped out acid lines with spliced up vocals. There is also a more reflective side to Boxia's approach, audible on the dub-infused "Sunshine State" - but in the main A Night... is a reminder of his peak-time prowess.
