Originally set up in 1994, Christian Smith’s Tronic holds a special place in techno circles. A leading force in shaping a less purist techno sound Tronic was amongst the first labels to embrace sounds from house and techno to create records that DJ’s from both scenes would play. With tracks and remixes from Umek, Mark Broom, Stryke, Fergie, Steve Mac, Anton Pieete and Psycatron, Wehbba, ANNA, Eric Sneo and more Tronic has re-emerged with a bang in 2009.
Review: New York's Agent Orange DJ comes good with an old school-influenced EP. The golden era of dance music looms large on ACTIV8; apart from the release's title, there's the fast-paced, sample-heavy house of "I'm The Freak", while on "In Your Soul Bone" dramatic chords are looped over a slamming techno backing. The release takes a grittier turn on the title track, with rough kicks underpinning a looped siren riff and insistent stabs, while "Squaring Mantis" is based on a similar approach. On this occasion, eerie organ playing is combined with insistent hi hats to create the kind of dynamic minimal techno that Rob Hood is known for.
Review: Tronic's roots lay in the tribal techno sound of the late 90s, and in places on Gold Spark echoes of that style are audible. "Liberate Your Mind" is based on a rolling groove, with Procombo adding cavernous breakdowns, deadpan vocal samples and glitchy sound effects to the arrangement. The title track is based on a leaner sound as mean chords are fused with a frenetic rhythm and steely, firing percussion, while "Majestic" sees the Tronic regulars opt for a different approach. Again, the track centres on a rolling groove, but this time it's powered by relentless percussion and a repetitive, menacing synth stab.
Review: Uruguay has become known as a hotbed for house and techno, and Diego Infanzon's latest release won't harm the country's reputation. The title track is a driving, Detroit-style affair, with Infanzon combining steely percussion and a dystopian synth to create maximum impact. On "Abre To Mente", he goes farther down the peak time path, with the arrangement driven by dramatic, sweeping chords, insistent hi hats and heavy kicks. It's an energetic affair and is sure to have the requisite effect whenever it's dropped. The fast-rising producer changes direction on "Living In A System"; focused instead on electro, he combines gritty 808s and wild hoover rave riffs to create a compelling finale.
Review: The Rockets compilation series focuses on elevating new names alongside established names - and on this occasion, the emerging producers really stand out. The vampirically-named Radu Dracul delivers a killer 303 workout on "Sound Pressure", with insistent acid lines peppering the percussive backdrop, The intriguingly named Agent Orange DJ also makes an impression with "Backwoods Groove", where coruscating riffs ride a jacking rhythm, while Sofian's "Respond" combines a pulsating groove with a bleak but hypnotic synth riff. At the same time, this twelfth edition also proves that experience can count, and this is evidence by Dutch pair Kamara's "Springveer", which combines lean drums with grinding riffs.
Review: We're only in August, but on the Orbit compilation, Tronic takes stock of the biggest tracks of the year so far. There's label owner Christian Smith's "The Future Is Ours", an infectious techno roller that unfolds to the sound of pulsating bass and a celebratory vocal sample, while on a deeper tip, Anna Reusch delivers the hypnotic tech-house of "Loose Your Mind". While the compilation features clubby contributions from label regulars like Drunken Kong, there are also some surprises where Tronic ventures into previously uncharted territories, such as Ian O'Donovan's symphonic "Rath Of The Synods" and Hannes Bieger's tripped out remix of Biz' "Psychotropic".
Review: Drunken Kong is one of the most regular acts to release on Tronic, and as Consciousness demonstrates, this is with good reason. The duo has a knack of crafting dynamic club techno, which is audible though out this release. The title track is powered by a soaring bass and eerie synths, while on "Response", they venture down a tribal path, soundtracked by a cacophony of rolling drums and snare-ed crescendos. "Take It" follows in a similar vein, but this time they achieve the same outcome using a repetitive vocal sample and coruscating riffs. "Impact" is the most purist track, with a stripped back arrangement populated by rolling drums and a niggling bass.
Review: Tronic has decided to celebrate its 400th release by issuing the second edition of its More Than Machine electro series. It gets off to an impressive start with label owner Christian Smith delivering an ominous slice of machine funk on "I Want It", before Carl Finlow drops a lithe rhythm and powerful low end in the shape of "Anomaly 3" and Detroit veteran DJ Godfather up the pace with the twitchy "Invasion of Detroit". But the presence of these veteran electro producers proves to be the exception rather than the rule, and the rest of Machine features techno artists exploring less well-known paths. Samuel Session impresses with the gritty, angular "Engine of War" and Alexander Kowalski deploys his bass-heavy approach to the nocturnal "Flickering Lights".
Review: Hopefully, raving is something we can all experience soon, and rest assured when we do, Anna Reusch will be on hand to provide the soundtrack. Like her previous work for Tronic, this is a darkly compelling affair. "Lose Your Mind" is based on a menacing, growling bass and subtle but powerful kicks drums, with the arrangement unfolding gradually for maximum impact. In contrast, the title track is more peak-time focused; the kicks are harder and more direct, the percussion teems with deadly intent and Reusch drops the kind of buzzing, insistent low end that would make those great bass architects, Vitalic and Oliver Huntemann green with envy.
Review: Like previous instalments, the eleventh volume of Tronic's Rockets compilation features upcoming producers alongside better-known names. Newcomer Buridan impresses with "Ripple", an atmospheric, filter-heavy deep house cut, while the veteran Belgian producer Van Czar ploughs a similar, albeit more tribal furrow on the hypnotic, looped "Underground Nation". Integral Bread, who runs the Univack label, impresses with the emotive, stepping electro of "Circuits, while Filipe Barbosa, who is known for releases on Naked Lunch, also keeps it deep, but lets his musical leanings play out against a minimalist techno backing on "Bearing". Similar to the other compilations, the eleventh Rockets is sure to go stratospheric.
Review: Ken Ishii follows a busy 2020 that saw the release of a remix album and an EP for Harthouse with this fine two-tracker. "Glow" contains all of the well-known and loved elements from this iconic producer: the bass grinds with a sense of steely futurism and the deep synths conjure up visions of a space age Tokyo high rise. "Dive" follows in a similar vein but is more tracky, with Ishii putting the focus on a slamming rhythm and tough drums. Tronic has also commissioned two fine remixes, with Filterheadz adding a sense of drama on their bass-heavy version of "Glow" and Oscar L dropping a more pumping take on "Dive".
Review: Label regulars Drunken Kong release their first EP of the year on Tronic and it's a heady affair. The title track revolves around tough, pounding kicks and menacing air raid sirens that swoop in at regular intervals, while "Phase One" is a high-paced roller populated by wiry acid tones and rasping percussion. In contrast, "One Day" is more subtle, with doubled up claps and a linear rhythm laying the basis for moody synth stabs and a gurgling bass, while "Non Stop" sees the duo venture down a tripped out route as a straight rhythm provides the backdrop for eerie synth riffs and powerful filtered builds.
Review: Ian O'Donovan has released on some of techno and house music's most prominent labels, including Bedrock and KMS, and now he returns to Tronic for this hard-hitting EP. "Ares" is a powerful, stomping affair, led by a series of ominous synths that build and drop, while on the title track, a purring bass sits at the heart of an arrangement that is also populated by hypnotic hooks and rolling drums. "Offworld" sees the Irish producer go deeper as dreamy melodies unravel over a tight percussive track, while "Fungie" also wears its Detroit techno influences brightly, as warbling hooks are fused with a wiry rhythm.
Review: Tronic welcomes Pagano to the fold for this killer three-track release. The title track is a dance floor-friendly affair; based on a rolling rhythm and smart filters these elements act as a backdrop for airy synth lines. "Triskelion" is a different proposition: utilising a stripped back approach, it sees Pagano deploy a snaking bass and a succession of rolling snares to devastating effect. The label has also recruited Eric Sneo to rework "How Long", another Pagano original. In his hands, the seasoned techno producer turns it into a jacking, ghetto-style track that also features woozy synth builds.
Review: Veteran production pair Filterheadz return to Tronic for this three-track collaboration with Jonathan Estrada aka The Reactivitz. Drawing on Filterheadz' late 90s work for inspiration, the title track is powered by a booming bass and features hardcore-style synths, dubbed out filters and soulful vocal samples. These elements make for an intoxicating combination. "Hexagone" follows a similar trajectory, with a surging acid line fused with powerful sub-bass to create a crafty big-room affair. However, "Pressure" is the most impactful track, with Filterheadz and Estrada coming together to deploy wild Red 2-style chord stabs over a pounding rhythm. It's hard to imagine a better way to round off this energetic techno collaboration.
Review: It would make for some debate but this More Than Machine compilation by Tronic may well be the label's most impressive release to date. Bringing together an all star cast of legendary, respected and fresh talent indebted to the machinist sounds of electro, Tronic slips out a surreptitious release into 2021 real diggers will recognise. John Selway appears twice with "Highest Order" and the harder edged "Blink Of An Eye" with Christian Smith (who also delivers an italo inspired solo number in "Pressure Drop"). Vince Watson goes both aquatic and cosmic in "Cyclon" next to CJ Bolland's "The Demotic Script", Sterac Electronics' (aka Steve Rachmad) phase driven "Reinstated" and a far flung Zein Ferreira collaboration with The Advent! Fresher vibes still from the UK's Second Storey and new age techno soul vibes from Client_03's "Regression Container". Your secret stash.
Review: Fresh from contributing to a split release on Alan Fitzpatrick's label late last year, Buridan now debuts on Tronic. "Phase Two" is based on a brooding bass that supports atmospheric, looped chords and dissected vocal samples, with all of these elements making for an emotive, powerful affair. In contrast, "Alianza" is a linear percussive track that features eerie synth stabs and and a rolling, tribal groove. On "The Only Way Out", this new artist remains in a similar space as "Alianza", but delivers a more streamlined interpretation of the sound, while "Smile & Say Hello" is a more upbeat party track, with vocal samples and summery hook unfolding over a thumping beat.
Review: Striking a balance between old school influences and modern electronic sounds is never an easy task, but the Kamara duo have risen effortlessly to this challenge for their latest outing on Tronic. The title track teems with the melodic flourishes of Dave Angel's deep techno Voyage series from the 1990s, while powered by a pumping groove. In contrast, on "Endurance" Kamara opt for a more crossover sound, led by a rolling groove and insistent chord stabs, while "Time Waits For No Man", sees the Dutch pair go for a more stripped back approach, as vocal snippets are laid over a driving, percussive rhythm.
