[Fiedelone]

Though he’s been around for awhile and is a resident at the biggest club in techno, it’s very possible that the name Fiedel doesn’t ring a whole lot of bells. But as one half of MMM with Erik Errorsmith, he’s played a part in some truly huge cuts of wonky techno over the course of the past 15 years. After a solo debut on Ostgut Ton’s Fünf compilation, he’s launched his own (naturally) Hard Wax-distributed label for his own productions. While the Berghain residents are hardly the monochromatic group of “dark, relentless techno” DJs some make them out to be, Fiedel still stands out as a bit of an oddball: his music is bright, brash, and a bit silly, but there isn’t a room in the world better suited to it than Berghain. “Ferro” pretty much reveals its hand right at the start, but even if there are no big surprises, the way Fiedel plays around with the very few present elements is captivating and sure to induce dance mania. It’s definitely a big-room track (just check the size of those kick drums), but it’s approachable enough to rev a party into high gear regardless of room size.

“Andreas” on the flip is cut from the same mold and is just as good, and the inclusion of some bonus beats is a more than welcome treat for DJs. Those looking for the raucous, noisy work of MMM will find something to love in the tracks on Fiedelone #1, though they’re a very different beast. Longer, sparser, and more DJ friendly than the MMM 12″s, Fiedel distills the spirit of rave into funky, minimalist forms that sound like very little else out there. Created with the DJ in mind, I’m not sure how much Fiedelone #1 will make sense to armchair dance music connoisseurs (unless your living room has a wall of bass bins, that is), but like a handful of other 12″s this year (Bookworms’ African Rhythms, Joy Orbison & Boddika’s Froth / Mercy, Joey Anderson’s Earth Calls) it’s an absolute must-have for DJs of any style. Given his long-time involvement in techno, who knows how many gems Fiedel has hidden in his vaults? If Fiedelone #1 is any indication, we could be on the brink of another single-artist label on the level of Sound Stream or Novel Sound.