Category: techno

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

3VTR is a mysterious French producer, who can trace the origins of his career to looking for beats for hip-hop — and wound up discovering sound design: The French producer wound up taking an M.A.O. course, where he learned electronic music composition and production.

Starting with a musical diary that captures the moods of a young boy, the French producer gradually began working on original material that he only released sporadically years later– with his first official release in 2011. Since then, his work has been inspired by his travels and an experimental bent, in which he tried out and adapted several different styles.

2018 was a busy year for 3VTR, between releasing melodic techno, chilled out electronica and movie soundtracks, his released his full-length debut, 128, Deep Chill Street, which was influenced by Worakls, Paul Kalkbrenner, Ennio Morricone, and Hans Zimmer.

The following year, the mysterious French producer released the hybrid EP/album CHILDHOOD, which saw him further cement his own take on techno. Interestingly, last year, 3VTR released The Good, The Bag & Ugly trilogy. Written during pandemic-related lockdowns, the album’s 55 tracks sees the mysterious exploring every corner of electronic music without any limit. While different in style, each release tells a story and releases the artist’s many sides.

The first part of the trilogy, the six-track The Good was released last February and features melodic and cosmic techno. The Good‘s first single “Les Lacs de Mercure (Introduction)” is a cinematic yet cosmic take on techno centered around glistening and melodic synths, skittering beats and an expansive song structure. And yet, at its core the song is an escapist fantasy with an introspective and placid quality.

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

New Audio: ELEVIN Releases a Hypnotic Club Banger

ELEVIN is a mysterious, emerging electronic music producer, who specializes in creating musical experiences designed to make audiences feel — while reflecting “the geometry of existence.”

The mysterious producer is building up buzz for their forthcoming album I believe in science. The album’s latest single “Quantum” derives its title from modern physics. “In the quantum universe a particle is everywhere and nowhere at the same time,” ELEVIN explains in press notes. “It is a particle but it is also energy and a wave. It is part of the fundamental framework that allows us to describe nature. I used these concepts to create this melodic techno track that will get you dancing and make you think about the complexity of the universe.”

Clocking in at a little over eight minutes, “Quantum” is centered around oscillating synths, thumping kick drum, skittering beats and a relentless motorik groove. The end result is a melodic, club banger that may draw comparisons to JOVM mainstay LutchamaK and Tour de France era Kraftwerk — but with a hypnotic, mind-bending quality.

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

New Audio: Istanbul’s Groovemonk Returns with a Hypnotic Banger

Groovemonk is an Istanbul-based electronic music producer, who has developed and honed a unique sound influenced by his love of ’90s club music, rave and breakbeat sounds, jazz, disco, hip-hop, funk, soul and others.

Earlier this year, I wrote about “In Silico,” a glitchy and feverish collage of constantly morphing sonic ideas held together by tweeter and woofer rocking bets, euphoric hooks and a relentless energy that constantly twists, turns. And while being off-kilter and angular, “In Silico” managed to posses the accessible and club friendly air of classic house.

Since the release of “In Silico,” the rising Turkish producer has prolific, releasing a boatload of new material, including his latest track “Gasp.” Opening with a slow-burning and melancholy introduction with chiming percussion and glistening synths, “Gasp” slowly builds up into a club banging and hypnotic bit of techno centered around tweeter and woofer rocking 808s, skittering beats, arpeggiated synths and euphoric hooks.

Along with JOVM mainstay LutchamaK, the Turkish producer are part of a collection of a electronic music producers, who are pushing the boundaries of electronic music while managing to be accessible and club friendly.

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

New Audio: French Producer Ukiyoe Releases a Trippy and Infectious Banger

Born in Southern France, the emerging Paris-based artist Ukiyoe grew up surrounded by and immersed in music: she listened to Nirvana, George Michael, The Cure, Ellen Allien, punk rock and cold wave; in fact, the emerging French artist can trace her love of music to listening to George Michael’s “Amazing.”

As Ukiyoe got older, she began to sing and write original material about life and love, eventually developing a difficult to pigeon sound and style that draws from and meshes alternative, indie pop and techno. Interestingly, despite the uncertainty of the pandemic, the emerging Paris-based artist released new material including her debut single “Angel” earlier this year. Her latest single “On est tous des animals” is a dense layered and trippy take on techno featuring skittering beats and the Paris-based artist’s vocals fed through distortion. Interestingly, the track is a mischievously forward-thinking yet accessible song.

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

New Audio: Swiss Producer Tikom Teams Up with Estelle Poscio on a Woozy Banger

kom is an emerging Swiss progressive techno producer, who has been releasing a new single every month since over the past few months. Released earlier this year, “Ève,” is a woozy techno banger centered around twinkling synth arpeggios, skittering beats and Estelle Poscio’s gorgeous operatic vocals that manages to be forward-thinking yet accessible.

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

Aalston is a rising French electronic music producer, who has developed and honed a unique, melodic and deeply personal take on techno music with releases through Sinners, Teho’s Labo T, Soul Button‘s Steyoyoke — and he’s played with the likes of Extrawelt, Teho and Kiasmos.

As a result of pandemic-related lockdowns and restrictions, the rising French producer has been focusing on writing a new material — including the “Serene”/”Reverse” 7 inch, which was released earlier this year. “Serene,” the 7 inch’s first single is a glistening and hypnotic bit of techno, centered around shimmering and arpeggiated synths, skittering beats, oscillating low frequencies and a motorik-like groove. And while featuring brooding atmospherics, the track is a club banger.

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

New Audio: JOVM Mainstay LutchamaK Returns with a Shimmering Techno Banger

Over the past year or so, I’ve managed to spill copious amounts of virtual ink covering the rising French electronic music artist and producer LutchamaK. Now, as you may recall, the French JOVM mainstay’s work is deeply influenced by — and generally draws from — techno, but while reflecting his lifelong devotion to and love of eclecticism: his work generally possesses elements of techno, deep house and EDM among other electronic music genres and subgenres.

Interestingly, during that same period, LutchamaK has been frenetically prolific, releasing new material through an increasingly number of EPs, standalone singles and a couple of albums. He recently released another EP, the three track nani. The EP’s first single “October (U Should Try)” is a straightforward yet futuristic-like techno banger, centered around thumping and stuttering beats, glistening synth arpeggios and vocodered vocal samples that reminds me quite bit of Tour de France-era Kraftwerk but at a faster tempo.

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

LutchamaK · Back To Finland

If you’ve been frequenting this site over the past six or seven months or so, you’ve seen a handful of posts covering the rising French electronic music artist, producer and JOVM mainstay LutchamaK. The French JOVM mainstay grew up as a voracious music listener and fan with eclectic and wide-ranging tastes that includes hip-hop, rock, techno and countless others. As a solo artist, LutchamaK’s work is deeply influenced by and generally draws from techno — but while reflecting his lifelong devotion to eclecticism: his first two EPs, which he managed to write during lunch breaks at his day job featured material that possessed elements of techno, house and EDM among others.

Over the same period of time that I’ve been covering him,  the rising French electronic music artist and producer has developed a reputation for being remarkably prolific, frequently releasing new material through an increasing number of EPs and singles. “Back to Finland,” the prolific French producer’s latest single is a club banger centered around layers of shimmering synth arpeggios, skittering, tweeter and woofer rocking beats, distorted and vocodered vocal samples and industrial clang and clatter.  Interestingly, “Back to Finland” may arguably be the most straightforward techno track he’s released to date, as it sounds as though it could have been played during Limelight’s heyday.

 

 

 

 

Video by William Ruben Helms

New Video: Emerging French Electronic Act Scuffles Releases a Paranoia-Inducing Visual for Club Banging “Total Rumble”

Split between Angers, France and Nantes, France, the emerging French garage techno act Scuffles — Sombre Barry and Sombre Winston — describe their sound as being “at the crossroads of techno and punk garage.”

“Total Rumble,” the duo’s latest single is club banger, centered around a looping guitar sample, layers of arpeggiated synths, a propulsive motorik groove, tweeter and woofer rocking beats, an enormous, club banging, festival friendly hook and shouted vocals. Sonically, the brash and infectious track will draw comparisons to The Chemical Brothers, The Crystal Method, and Adult., as it possesses a paranoid yet gritty, industrial quality. 

Shot and edited by Josic Jégu and Morgan Richard, the recently released and incredibly eerie video for “Total Rumble” captures the paranoia of an out-of-control drunk while on a trip to the country. But is he being chased — or is he chasing the demons in his drug and booze-addled mind?

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

Over the past five or six months, I’ve managed to spill quite a bit of virtual ink covering the rising French electronic music artist, producer and JOVM mainstay LutchamaK. Now, as you may recall, the rising French artist grew up as a voracious music listener and fan, who has had long eclectic and wide-ranging tastes that includes hip-hop, rock, techno and others. And while his work is deeply influenced from and draws from techno, it also reflects a lifelong devotion to a eclecticism: his first two EPs, which he managed to create during lunch breaks at his day job featured material that meshed elements of techno, house and EDM among others.

The French JOVM mainstay has developed a reputation for being remarkably prolific, frequently releasing new material with a number of EPs, including one of his most recent EPs Kodama. “Music Box,” Kodama EP‘s latest single is centered around tweeter and woofer rocking low end, thumping beats, explosive blast of rimshot and hi-hat, relentless synth stabs, a looped sample of a kalimba, which manages to sound much like a music box and a vocal sample that simply says “We are the weapons.” While being a mid-tempo techno track the track manages to sound as though it were inspired by Tour De France-era Kraftwerk and Boys Noize — forward-thinking yet accessible and dance floor friendly.

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

Over the past handful of months, I’ve written a bit about the emerging and mysterious French electronic music artist and producer LutchamaK. The French artist and producer grew up as an voracious music fan and listener, who listened to — and loved — an eclectic array of music, including hip-hop, dub, classical, rock, techno and others. LutchmaK’s work is deeply influenced by techno but with a devotion to lifelong eclecticism: his first two EPs, which he managed to create during lunch breaks at his job, featured material that seamlessly synthesized techno, house and EDM among others.

LutchamaK is gearing up to release his full-length debut Invisible Realm and the album’s first single “Tribute 2 Mad Mike” continues in a similar retro-futuristic vein as “Later On.” Centered around a minimalist-leaning production, the track features shimmering synth arpeggios, tweeter and woofer rocking beats, vocodered vocals and an enormous hook, “Tribute 2 Mad Mike” brings Computer World and Tour de France-era Kraftwerk, JOVM mainstay Boys Noize, ’90s house music and techno to mind. Simply put, it’s a thumping club banger.

“I wanted to make it as danceable as possible,” LutchamaK wrote to me in an email. “It’s a salute to Mad Mike, one of the founders of Detroit’s Underground Resistance. I tried to get a ’90s techno vibe, hoping the result won’t be seen as plagiarism.”

 

 

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

 

Late last year, I wrote about the somewhat mysterious yet emerging French electronic music artist and producer LutchamaK. Like countless others, the emerging French artist grew up as an avid and passionate music fan, who listened to — and loved — an eclectic array of music, including hip-hop, dub, classical, rock, techno and others. Interestingly enough, the mysterious French artist’s work is deeply influenced by techno — but while nodding at other styles and genres: his first two EPs featured, which he managed to create during such breaks at his day job, featured material that effortlessly meshed techno, house and EDM.

“9th Forest” off the Goth in the Shell EP was a slickly produced, propulsive house-leaning techno track centered around tweeter and woofer rocking beats and arpeggiated synths that recalled JOVM mainstay Boys Noize and Octo Octa, but with a self-assured swagger. LutchamaK begins 2020 continuing a run of slickly produced, swaggering, club friendly house music with his latest single “Later On.” Much like its predecessor, the track is centered around tweeter and woofer rocking beats, shimmering synth arpeggios and a sample of a seductive female vocal — but “Later On” features a decidedly minimalist production reminiscent of Kraftwerk‘s Tour de France.

“I guess the purpose for me is always the same, to make the best song I can,” the emerging French producer and electronic music artist wrote to me in an email. “It  has to move me somehow, to please me so much that I want to share with everybody else. [I’m] hoping this track would get big smiles and make heads and feet move. :)”

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

 

LutchamaK is a somewhat mysterious yet emerging French electronic music artist and producer, who manages a growing music career with a full-time career as an IT guy for a large French corporation. Like countless others, the emerging French artist grew up as an avid and passionate music fan, who listened to — and loved — an eclectic array of music, including hip-hop, dub, classical, rock, techno and others.

The mysterious French artist’s work is deeply influenced by techno — but while nodding at other styles and genres. Interestingly enough, LutchamaK managed to create his first two EPs, which featured material that effortlessly meshed techno, house and EDM during lunch breaks house. “9th K’s Forest,” the latest single off his Goth in the Shell EP is slickly produced propulsive house-leaning techno track centered around tweeter and woofer rocking beats, arpeggiated synths — and while recalling JOVM mainstay Boys Noize and Octo Octa, but with a self-assured swagger.

 

 

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

Perhaps best known as a member of heralded electronic act Sandwell District and the head of underground electronic music label Jealous God, Juan Mendez is an renowned Los Angeles-based electronic music producer, DJ and art director, known for aggressively pushing techno’s sound and aesthetic forward at least twice in his career, with his solo recording project Silent Servant; in fact, Mendez’s solo debut Negative Fascination is largely considered a game-changing modern classic.

Slated for a December 7, 2018 release through Hospital Productions, Mendez’s Silent Servant forthcoming sophomore effort Shadows of Death and Desire reportedly finds Mendez’s sound evolving towards a much more raw, aggressive and abrasive sound; in fact, album single “Damage” walks a careful tightrope between the chilly atmospherics of John Carpenter soundtracks and the tense, harrowing, industrial clang and clatter of Blanck Mass, as the track is centered around layers of arpeggiated synths and thumping beats, but while being dance floor friendly.

 

 

Single Review by William Ruben Helms