[Mote-Evolver]

Marcel Fengler’s original “Thwack” is one of the most mercurially monstrous things the German producer has yet unleashed, an utterly distinctive flurry of flashbang handclaps and white-hot snares. Released last year on Luke Slater’s Mote-Evolver label, it’s no surprise that the track would be cherry-picked for the remix EP treatment, and its rather late arrival is well timed with the looming release of Fengler’s Berghain 05 mix CD. But timing politics regardless, Thwack Remixes easily stands on its own two feet.

First up is fellow Berghain associate Norman Nodge, who provides the EP’s highlight with a sped-up rework that gently tweaks rather than demolishes, putting the emphasis on a jacking rimshot progression that sends it leaping into the air every few bars. But like Nodge’s recent The Happenstance EP, there are other ideas here afoot than just austere techno, and the track’s extended breakdown leads it into a heady froth of simmering percussion, constantly on the verge of ignition until a massive sub-bass line fissures through the bottom and takes the track on a massive upheaval. It’s the kind of queasily powerful move that feels like it’s indiscriminately blasting right through whatever structure was left, and the fact that Nodge’s “Thwack” rework manages to somehow rebuild itself after such a low-frequency assault is proof to his expert handling of hazardous techno materials.

While Nodge’s might stand head-and-shoulders above because of its cunningly controlled chaos, the other contributions hold their own. Label head Luke Slater contributes two remixes, an electro-infused arpeggiated techno workout as Planetary Assault Systems — which sounds like his recent Temporary Suspension album with the movement confined to microscopic distances. His turn as L.B. Dub Corp comes as a digital bonus and values space and inaudible low frequencies over crashing clangor, a nice breather after three slabs of unforgiving techno. That leaves us with ambient techno producer Mike Parker, who chooses a more direct route than some of his recent material, melting “Thwack”‘s elements down to thick liquid and gleefully watching them slosh and squelch in a punishingly repetitive pattern. Befitting of the source material, it’s more aggressive than tracks like “Subterranean Liquid,” but different enough from the others to nicely round off a satisfying package of remixes. Like any EP with four remixes of the same track, your mileage may vary, but safe to say there’s at least one here for anyone who might consider themselves a techno head in 2011.

01. Drivetrain, “Lift Me High”
[Soiree Records International] (buy)
Every time I think I have a grasp on the many talents Detroit has to offer, a new record comes to reminds me how much more there is to learn. This time it’s Mo 2 Meaux 2 on Soiree Recordings International, an EP that forms a bridge between the Motor City and Meaux, France. For all the talent on offer, the opening cut by Drivetrain — also known as Derrick Thompson, the proprietor behind Soiree — feels like a wake up call. “Lift Me High” bears all the hallmarks of a producer who has been producing since 1990 — a potent marriage of interwoven melodies and soulful vocals laid out with the greatest of care. Its synths sizzle with carefully controlled energy — more a late night joy ride than a rocket to space — and the wriggling pitches of its bass line are a sensual massage for the ears. Not only does this record offer a killer cut, it’s a chance to dig deeper into an oft overlooked figure in Detroit house music.

02. The Oliverwho Factory, “Galactic Transit” (Recall Instrumental Mix) [Rush Hour Recordings] (buy)
There are records that give you new reasons to love an artist and others which reinforce the ones you’ve already developed. Galactic Transit, the first 2011 release from The Oliverwho Factory, fits into this latter category, building on the punchy and sublime aesthetic they’ve firmly established. While the vocal mix is quite a trip, the “Recall Instrumental Mix” feels like a sequel to the duo’s beloved remix of Prosumer & Tama Sumo’s “Rareified” with its pounding toms and slyly unfolding motifs. Shonie C’s wordless vocals have all the dramatic intrigue of a ’60s sci-fi soundtrack, lighting the fuse on room-filling melodic washes and rapid fire synth riffs. And despite its many layers, the arrangements provide plenty of room for mixing, making it the side on which DJs are the most likely to drop the needle. So while “Galactic Transit” isn’t exactly revelatory, it stirs the embers of my appreciation for the OWF and is a must-own for new and old fans.

03. Jamie Lloyd, “Cloud Hopping”
[Love International] (buy)
It’s been so long (five years, to be precise) since Jamie Lloyd put out a record of new material that audiences’ expectations for the Australian producer have likely reset. This actually works in the favor of I Left My Heart In Your Pants EP, Lloyd’s first in five years, as his boogie-influenced style proves quite agreeable to the current musical climate. This is best represented by A-side “Cloud Hopping,” a lighthearted romp of buzzing funk riffs pinned together by the dual desire to make dancers smile as they sweat. The floppy swagger of the low end is nibbled at by frantic upper register leads, eventually joining forces when downy pads lift the tune into the stratosphere. The biggest surprise is that this record arrives on the Malaysian, digital only imprint Love International rather than Lloyd’s usual outlet, Future Classic. Fans of Space Dimension Controller, Oriol, and Dam-Funk should take note: your latest jam isn’t by the usual suspects.

04. Omar-S, “Here’s Your Trance, Now Dance!”
[FXHE Records] (buy)
Single-sided vinyls are an unusual beast in the record world, and Omar-S’ FXHE presses more of them than most labels would even consider. Perhaps it’s his utmost confidence that the selected tune can stand on its own; his certainty has been bolstered by the popularity of tunes like Kyle Hall’s “Plastic Ambash” and his own “Psychotic Photosynthesis.” The latest single-sider to emerge from FXHE, Omar’s “Here’s Your Trance, Now Dance!”, certainly has the potential to reach similarly anthemic heights. Borrowing some of trance’s melodic cheese, the track assembles a rainbow of colorful tones and progressions — some cheerfully swaying, others jutting into the air, still more percolating below — to burst from the speakers. Although significantly more straightforward and ecstatic than “Psychotic,” “Here’s Your Trance” is similarly capable of bringing down the house and lodging itself in listeners’ memories — not least because it sounds unlike anything else out there. Flip right past if you’re looking for sleek sophistication; this is big, bold, beautiful unicorn of house music that dissolves audiences’ inhibitions.

05. D’Marc Cantu, “Set Free”
[M>O>S Recordings] (buy)
Like their compatriots at Rush Hour, M>O>S Recordings have repeatedly proven astute at A&Ring American talent and assembling complete packages that further their aesthetic. Following his M>O>S release as one-half of 2 AM/FM, D’Marc Cantu is the latest to deliver the goods with Set Free/Tonight. In line with but decidedly less acidic than his rugged tracks for Crème Organization and Nation, record highlight “Set Free” is home to both flinty analog percussion and foggy, lingering chords. The latter are sent searching through spectrum-scouring sonar washes, mapping out the room and tinging the atmosphere with a decidedly grungy, basement feel. This balancing act of vaporous melodies and unyielding drum programming seems most natural to Cantu — carefree and considered all at once. It’s what’s kept me coming back to this record over and over again throughout February.

06. James Blake, “I Never Learnt to Share”
[Atlas Recordings] (buy)
07. Steffi, “Mine” [Ostgut Ton] (buy)
08. Martyn & Mike Slott, “All Nights”
[All City Records] (buy)
09. Norman Nodge, “Convergence” [MDR] (buy)
10. Half Hawaii, “Bring Back the Love” [Perlon] (buy)

Staff Charts:

Chris Burkhalter
01. Move D, “Your Personal Healer” [Uzuri]
02. Theo Parrish, “Stop Bajon (T.P. Translation)” [Archive Recordings]
03. D’Marc Cantu, “Set Free” [M>O>S Recordings]
04. Omar-S, “Here’s Your Trance Now Dance!” [FXHE]
05. 214, “Porous Surfs” [Harbour City Sorrow]
06. Dresvn, “Untitled A2″ [Acido Records]
07. Nina Kraviz, “I’m Week” [Rekids]
08. dBridge, “Detuned Heart” [Autonomic]
09. Sven Weisemann, “Caprice” [Mojuba]
10. Marcelus, “Friction” [Deeply Rooted House]

Luke Hawkins
01. Kassem Mosse, “Untitled A1″ [Workshop]
02. Tin Man, “Life Is Acid” [Keys of Life]
03. Tin Man, “Wasteland” [Global A]
04. Morphosis, “Wild in Captivity” [Delsin/M>O>S/Morphine]
05. Atheus, “Dequadrant Redux” [Styrax]
06. Conforce, “State of Mind (XDB Reshape 2)” [Clone Basement Series]
07. Mike Parker, “Ringing Bass” [Prologue]
08. Rod Modell, “Body Sonic” [Plop]
09. Move D and Benjamin Brunn, “Radar” [Smallville Records]
10. DJ Qu, “Everybody’s Dark” [Soul People Music]

Steve Kerr
01. The Deep, “Muddy Tracks” [100% Silk]
02. Julia Holter, “Hello, Stranger” [NNA Tapes]
03. Kassem Mosse, “Untitled B1″ [Workshop]
04. Shackleton, “Deadman” (King Midas Sound Death Dub) [Honest Jon's]
05. Zwischenwelt, “Clairvoyant” [Rephlex]
06. BNJMN, “Depressure” [Rush Hour]
07. DJ Spinn, “I Really Feel” [Planet Mu]
08. Sylvia Mason, “We’ve Gotta Dance” [Carrere]
09. Genius of Time, “Houston We Have A Problem” [Royal Oak]
10. Factory Floor, “A Wooden Box” [Blast First Petite]

Anton Kipfel
01. BNJMN, “See Thru Stars” [Rush Hour Recordings]
02. Levon Vincent, “Tyner” [Soul People Music]
03. Steffi ft. Virginia, “Yours” [Ostgut Ton]
04. CloudMasterWeed, “Wicked System” [Soiree International Records]
05. Krause Duo ft. Ian Simmonds, “Hell On Earth” [Musik Krause]
06. Contakt, “Not Forgotten” [Local Action Records]
07. Manuel Tur ft. Holly Backler, “Most Of This Moment” [Freerange Records]
08. Martyn & Mike Slott, “Left Hander” [All City Recordings]
09. Hercules & Love Affair, “Step Up” [Moshi Moshi]
10. Lawrence, “Just Like Heaven” [Smallville Records]

Chris Miller
01. Omar-S, “Here’s Your Trance, Now Dance!” [FXHE]
02. D’Marc Cantu, “Set Free” [M>O>S Deep]
03. Tin Man, “Rockers Ravers” [Salon]
04. Black Jazz Consortium, “Stay” [Soul People Music]
05. Moritz von Oswald Trio, “Structure 1″ [Honest Jon's]
06. Pangaea, “Inna Daze” [Hessle Audio]
07. Kassem Mosse, “Untitled B2″ [Workshop]
08. Radiohead, “Feral” [Radiohead]
09. Joy O, “Wade In” [Hotflush Recordings]
10. SCB, “Loss” [Aus Music]

Andrew Ryce
01. Instra:mental, “User” [Nonplus+]
02. They Live, “Pure Palms” [Autonomic]
03. Actress, “Harrier ATTK” [Nonplus+]
04. Photek, “Avalanche” [Photek Productions]
05. Hercules & Love Affair, “Falling” [Moshi Moshi]
06. Kahn, “Like We Used To” [Punch Drunk]
07. Boddika, “Soul What” [Swamp81]
08. Until Silence, “Palindromes” [Pushing Red]
09. Icicle, “Redemption” [Shogun Audio]
10. Boxcutter, “Allele” [Planet Mu]

[MDR]

Like much of the label owner’s recent artist album, the seventh release on Marcel Dettmann Records, composed by Norman Nodge, begins with the crackling, abstract noise and industrial undercurrents of “DNA.” This of course is hardly surprising; there is no one else among the Berghain stable whose being is so connected to the history of techno music, so hot-wired to its heritage as Dettmann or Nodge. You can see it in their chiseled, stark features, hear it in their blindingly purist sets and it practically oozes from the grooves of every record they release. That’s not to suggest either producer’s output is merely a carbon copy of the dominant narratives that preceded their own releases. With so many techno producers flirting with lower tempos and noisy textures, there is something very now about “DNA.”

On the other hand, “Convergence” sounds heavily inspired by ’90s techno; centered on grainy bass full of tonal blips and dense, titanium drums, it also boasts an insistent riff that evoke memories of Lil’ Louis. However, the slower tempo and skipping percussion remind the listener this is indeed a contemporary production. Nodge mines the past again on “Homology”; featuring a slinky yet insistent bass line that calls to mind Jeff Mills’ “In The Bush” over a stripped back house rhythm and nagging acid riffs, the end result sounds like Mills bringing his distinctive touch to Dan Bell’s back catalog. “Adaption,” on the other hand, seeks to connect the techno from the past that influences Nodge and his current environment. The eerie chords sound like Carl Craig at his most introspectively brilliant, and could be an outtake from a Psyche session; but the manner in which he presents it, against the backdrop of rolling, filtered house rhythms, tempered with a Martyn-like shuffle, shows that while Norman Nodge may draw on the past, he still lives in the present.

[Process Recordings]

A taster for Edwin James aka Corrugated Tunnel’s new album on Process Recordings, “Threadbare” sees him move away from the ambient stylings of his previous long players and head down a richer, more traditionally musical route. Enlisting the services of vocalist Martin McCann, the Irish producer sets his breathy tones against sensuously rich strings and plaintive pianos to make what sounds like a superlative piece of electronic pop. However, midway through he drops a kick drum. Whether or not this will attract the house DJs James’ work is inspired by is open to question. However, to some degree this becomes a redundant issue because “Threadbare” should, this reviewer feels, be seen as a pop song and also by dint of the fact that the accompanying remixes will satisfy dance floor requirements.

Orlando Voorn’s take on “Threadbare” provides the trackiness the original was lacking, with bongos and squelchy acid lines forming the basis for a rolling club track. Voorn doesn’t appear to be content to stop there, however, and adds in irresistible, tranced out chords and what sounds like a spy theme version of the original version’s strings. Berghain’s Norman Nodge surprises too with his version. Gone are the steely Millsian rhythms of his MDR releases, replaced by enveloping piano chords, James’ strings recycled as dramatic stabs and insistent, hissing percussion — all of which is backed with a dubbier rhythm track than usual. It seems James has succeeded in bringing out the sensitive side of all those involved.

Expectations greatly inform our record buying habits. What do you expect from Marcel Dettmann? If previous releases are to be believed it’s stripped down, no nonsense techno. What about from his friends Norman Nodge and the either incognito or actually-a-newcomer Wincent Kunth? More or less the same thing, and that is exactly what’s on display here with four remixes of Dettmann material which didn’t make the album.

Norman Nodge, who has been on a tear of remixes in the last 12 months, takes a decidedly single-minded approach to “Shift,” although for beating down a dingy dance floor it doesn’t really need much more. His simple, splattering 4/4 rhythms soften the ground for understated bleep patterns to bite through, occasionally punctuated by crowd noise or calls to “work!” True to its name, “Unrest” is a little more mental than its predecessor, unleashing a torrent of plucked electricity cable hits and off-camera scrapes, all the while a seriously warped bass line moans just beneath the surface. The shadowy Wincent Kunth appears on the flip to flesh things out further than Nodge, but not by much. The downtrodden synth line, foggy pads and low slung bass running through tone down the intensity of “Vertigo” (scything hi-hats excepted), while the dubbed expanses of “Wound Up” reveal hidden razor edges as the track unfolds and make it the EP’s best and most likely to be played out cut. In fact, the whole release will likely see some airtime, although more often as segues rather than destinations of a DJ set. While they don’t really lend themselves to many spins in the living room, their status as quality DJ tools is hard to deny. But then again, what did you expect?

[Sandwell District]

Sandwell District have been making acerbic waves in the techno scene for a couple of years now, and in 2009 it’s common knowledge that if you want proper techno you’d best head to Sandwell. Given that every one of this year’s SD releases, aside from Silent Servant’s fantastic “Negative Fascinations,” has been technically a remix, the choice to abandon the usual procession of catalog numbers in favor of the new “SDRM” code for this new 12″ of remixes is a surprise. Regardless, Berghain favorites Ben Klock and Norman Nodge are on deck to reshape Function’s massive “Disaffected” while anonymous Sandwell insider, CH-Signal Laboratories lends their hands to continue the Variance remix project from earlier this year.

After getting the remix treatment from Function and Regis in the form of their excellent “Subzero” mix, Ben Klock returns the favor by toning down the intense oscillating bass tones of the original “Disaffected” and establishing a more languid pulse. It’s a bit pedestrian as far as Klock is concerned, lacking some of the personality and “Klockisms” that really make his work stand out from the rest, but there is still a lot there and it makes for a great techno track. Norman Nodge also takes on “Disaffected” and keeps things rather restrained. A flurry of hi-hats and rimshots, a steady kick, and just a small fragment of the original’s bass line make up the only sounds here, but Nodge’s know-how keep it from ever becoming tedious. He takes no prisoners with his version and turns out the most effective mix in the package, staying true to the original’s attitude while being drenched in Nodge’s personality.

Finally, CH-Signal Laboratories take on “Variance”, which is a good enough version, although at this point there doesn’t seem to be much more to mine in “Variance.” Assuming that Function’s version was the original, the bleeping tones, delayed bass sounds, and much of the snappy percussion are kept it in place, but while it’s a solid mix and certainly serviceable on the floor one wishes the fourth “Variance” mix would be more like Marcel Dettmann’s: reshaping the entire tune from the ground up. While it’s unfortunately the least essential Sandwell District 12″ to be released this year, this is a record most labels would be itching to put out, and for that it deserves your attention.

Though Resoe is his primary musical outlet, Copenhagen’s Dennis Bøg also makes up one half of Pattern Repeat where, as diligent LWE readers can tell you, he teams up with Echocord head Kenneth Christiansen. Little surprise, then, that the latest Resoe record — for his own Baum Records — deals in the sort of burly, Chain Reaction-inspired dub techno that’s earned labels like Modern Love, Statik Entertainment, and of course Echocord their many dedicated followers. A-side “Cosmic Blast” is all chunky bass, chiseling high-end percussion, and blurred, wet chords. But where a lot of the deeper end of techno seems to be courting a more meditative listening experience, “Cosmic Blast” is stern and propulsive – destined for club use. If, however, you take your washes of delay with a little more “numb,” you’ll find a deep track for late morning in “Dusty Grounds.” It’s makeup is much the same, but more about atmospherics than thunder. Of course, neither track is going to shock you. Naysayers will groan that they’ve heard this before. Myself, I’m content to enjoy this sturdy example of the genre.

And now on to the eye-catching remix. One of techno’s most vital voices over the last couple years, Norman Nodge is celebrated for a gristly, rough take on techno that’s rarely proved less than devastating. In the case of the “Cosmic Blast” remix included here, though, rough has given way to practically unfinished. Nodge opts for spare treatments, clearing the palette to focus our attention on the echoing ricochets of ominous chords. But there’s “spare” and there’s “something missing;” to my ears, this falls into the latter camp. While Nodge leaves room for a certain “white space” that’s often lacking in the “anxiety techno” of the day, he sacrifices both the bitterness and directness of his MDR records. There’s suspense, but little, if any, build in tension, and the remix ultimately feels like an extended set-up for a big moment for another track. Undoubtedly, plenty of DJs will be too happy to facilitate such a pairing but, on its own, the “Cosmic Blast” remix comes off as an anemic tool. Nodge won’t lose any fans over it, but some may hold their applause until next time.

[Time To Express]

Witness the power of the techno blogosphere: After seven years of releasing music as Object, Vanno and now his own name, Belgian producer and DJ Peter Van Hoesen has recently seen a sharp uptick in his stock. His contribution to Modyfier’s Process series (of which I am an alumnus) grabbed quite few ears with its proto-techno selection, not least of which belonged to the mnml ssgs crew. Add the anointing measure of a Phil Sherburne’s remix of “L.O.C.,” and Hoesen’s long journey through glitchy, experimental sounds seems to have finally reached a summit of recognition. With my peers on the record and the alluring bonus of Norman Nodge’s first remix, the timing seems right to check out Hoesen’s latest, the “Trusted EP.”

Whereas “L.O.C.” was too thin and mincing for my tastes, Hoesen’s latest cuts derive their strength from bass bins for a beefier sound. Like an idling Mack truck, “New Territory” grumbles in off-kilter rhythms as anxious tones swoop down into the fray. Its ambitious sound design utilizes every spare inch of stereo headspace, but its timid percussive shuffle leaves the track a bit shy for dance floor use. Considerably more mobile, “Trusted” exists for Berghain-like settings; pitting dungeon bass lines against a rising tide of airy pitches and Detroit-influenced stabs, Hoesen’s deft arrangement leaves audiences the winners. The most straightforward selection comes from Mr. Nodge, who pushes much of the bass underground and unties tangled melodic wisps to glide among skittering, delayed rhythms and pointed percussion (see also: Shackleton). Recent hype aside, PVH’s latest satisfies and plays a gracious host to Berghain’s favorite lawyer.

[Ostgut Ton]

Each new release from Ostgut Ton builds on an already impressive list of accomplishments, of which becoming an underground multimedia empire is only one. Graduating from 12″ singles, double packs and compilations to albums (Prosumer & Murat Tepeli’s irresistible Serenity) proved the still fresh-faced label’s keen A&R eye (not to mention terrifically talented roster) spanned formats with ease. Only a few months later and Ostgut is ready for the next rung on the ladder. Marcel Dettmann’s forthcoming mix CD, Berghain 02, features four previously unreleased tracks from Shed, Tobias Freund, Norman Nodge and Samuli Kemppi. Ostgut has wisely scooped these up themselves and released them as two split singles, building anticipation for what could well be one of the year’s best mix discs. While “Part I” and “Part II” are both fine releases, for the purposes of this review I’ll focus on the latter’s lesser known pairing of Nodge and Kemppi.

Like a painting which requires observers to stand close to drink in all that’s happening, Norman Nodge’s “Native Electric Rhythm” appears a simple and charged techno track and reveals finely tuned layers upon closer inspection. Much of its melody is implied rather than overt, found along the edges of the scratchy rhythm etched into the tune’s burbling low end. Nodge imbues visceral tension just below the surface of the track which occasionally seeps through in the form of bursts of fizzling electric current, as if listeners’ ears came too close to the power line they were carefully monitoring. Only the fourth song Nodge has ever released, “Native” keenly refines the sound of his debut to an equally brain-tingling and body-moving end. Helsinki-based Samuli Kemppi offers his own techno nuance with “Vangels,” though his version displays its details on its sleeves rather than just beneath them. Its tough exterior of accented bass, scuffed synth stabs and delayed pings lays the groundwork for tangled chime syncopations to unwind and cast an foreboding glow upon dancers.

There seems to be no end in sight for Ostgut’s string of top notch releases, and thus far their ever-expanding roster has proven to be unusually solid proving ground for emerging talents like Norman Nodge, Samuli Kemppi, Tama Sumo and Shed (to a lesser extent). If there’s anything these taste-makers can’t do, I haven’t found an example yet.