Category: techno

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

Mark Pompeo is a prolific New Jersey-based electronic music producer, best known in EDM/techno circles as Mark Wise. And since the release she this solo debut, 2018’s Blizzard EP, Pompeo has recorded and released club bangers that feature a unique blend of minimalist techno, progressive techno, house and increasingly metal, which has received support from the likes of Marco Carola, Richie Hawtin, Cristian Varela, Spartaque, Lisa Lashes, Phaedon, Vikthor, Illario Alicante, and DJ Dialog. 

Pompeo began the year with the release of the Rumble in the Jungle EP. The EP featured the crowd-pleasing expansive banger and EP title track “Rumble in the Jungle,” and the Guilia and Paxtech remix of “Rumble in the Jungle,” which retained the original’s melodic breakdown while pairing it with relentless tweeter and woofer rattling thump and a trippy, cosmic sheen.

The New Jersey-based electronic producer then released the two-track Heavy Metal EP. The EP featured “Heavy,” a high energy, crowd pleasing banger that found him firmly establishing what he has dubbed “heavy metal techno” with the song centered around scorching synth riffage, tweeter and woofer rattling beats and trippy cosmic squeals. “Metal,” the second and final single pushed the heavy metal techno concept even further with the song featuring a seamless synthesis of thrash metal, goth, industrial techno and acid house — while being equally crowd pleasing.

Continuing a remarkably prolific period, Pompeo’s latest release Riff Machine sees the New Jersey-based producer further honing his heavy metal techno concept. Centered around power chord-driven synth guitar riffage, skittering techno hi-hat, rock ‘n’ roll-like drum fills, explosive cymbals and deep low end, the EP title track “Riff Machine” is a high energy, industrial headbanger that pairs arena rock bombast with euphoria-inducing hooks. (EDITOR’S NOTE: This is a radio edit that clocks in a little over five-and-a-half minutes; the full song, which is also on the EP clocks in at a little over seven minutes.)

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

New Audio: JOVM Mainstay LutchamaK Shares a Detroit Techno-Inspired Banger

Over the past couple of years of this site’s almost 12 year history, I’ve managed to spill quite a bit of virtual ink covering the prolific French electronic music producer and JOVM mainstay LutchamaK.

LutchamaK began this year with a remix effort that featured remixes of Threshold album single “Bitrate Scale” by three artists, who liked his work and wanted to create their own takes. 

  • DNMK‘s deep house-leaning take on “Bitrate Scale” that features a brooding, murkier air than the original
  • Haalleyck‘s trippy and cosmic take on “Bitrate Scale” centered around thumping kick and glistening and oscillating synths that feels more like a complete rework of the original
  • Darbinyan‘s uptempo, deep house take on “Bitrate Scale” centered around oscillating synths, skittering, tweeter and woofer rattling beats, glistening synth arpeggios, robotic vocodered vocals D euphoria-inducing hooks 
  • LutchamaK also contributed his own murky and brooding remix of “Bitrale Scale” that retained the thumping kick of the original but while pairing it with oscillation synths and vocodored vocals

Continuing upon his long-held reputation for being remarkably prolific, the French JOVM mainstay’s latest EP, the five-song TERMusik was released last month. The EP’s latest single “100 Miles” is a slickly produced Detroit techno-inspired banger that recalls Kraftwerk‘s Tour de France and Computerworld centered around skittering, twitter and woofer rocking beats, oscillating synths and lyrics delivered with a hip-hop swagger.

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

New Audio: ADULT. Return with Techno-influenced Banger “I Am Nothing”

Throughout their 25 year history, acclaimed Detroit-based multimedia and electronic music production and artist duo ADULT. — the husband and wife team of Adam Lee Miller and Nicola Kuperus — have a sprawling catalog of material released through  Mute Records, Ghostly International, Thrill Jockey, Third Man Records and a list of other labels that has seen the duo obscure and blur lines between genres and styles in a cohesive fashion within the album format. 

“but for this we wanted something that’s falling apart.” Becoming Undone, ADULT.’s ninth album reportedly sees the duo explicitly aiming for that goal, while simultaneously rejecting and reflecting the planetary discord that inspired and informed it. Written between November 2020 and April 2021, Miller and Kuperus kickstarted the creative process through additions to the rig: a vocal loop pedal for Kuperus and Roland percussion pads for Miller. They also reconnected with some of their earliest influences including Test Department and Throbbing Gristle’s 20 Jazz Funk Greats, which helped spark a series of fruitful and frenetic sessions, centered on themes of impermanence and dissonance. “We weren’t interested in melody or harmony since we didn’t see the world having that,” ADULT.’s Miller bluntly reasons. 

While there are still plenty of the dance floor bangers the duo is known for, Becoming Undone is also informed by deep, personal loss: Kuperus’ father died during the height of the pandemic, just before the duo were about to start working on the album. As his hospice caretakers, she and Miller faced the banality of finality, surrounded by objects drained of meaning — “the joy of having a body, but also the drudgery of having one,” they say. 

The end result is an album that crackles with revulsion and dissent, and it seemingly equal parts exorcism and denunciation, centered around a breadth of vocal effects: Kuperus at times sounds alternately indignant and possessed, decrying the crimes, fears, and failings of a deluded, broken world. “Humans have always been pretty terrible,” Kuperus explains. “But every year the compromises of culture just accelerate.”

Late last year, I wrote about Becoming Undone single “Fools (We Are . . .)“, a glitchy and uneasy banger centered around stuttering beats, dense layers of arpeggiated synths paired with an unhinged and desperate vocal performance by Kuperus, who sings lyrics describing the sensation of being hopelessly stuck in a seemingly endless and foolish loop of the same ol’ banal, things while everything else around them collapses.

“I Am Nothing,” Becoming Undone‘s second and latest single is an abrasive yet accessible industrial techno banger, centered around arpeggiated synths, tweeter and woofer rattling thump, metallic clang and clatter paired with Kuperus’ desperate howls inspired by Detroit techno between 1992-1995, Suicide‘s Alan Vega, Swans‘ Micheal Gira and Malaria!‘s Gudrun Gut.

“The meaning of ‘nothing’ in the context of this song is not in regards to worthlessness, but of being lodged into something we can not understand and yet somehow accept it / or not accept it,” the acclaimed Detroit-based duo explain. “We are collectively living in liminality. And personally, we are more content currently to be in a state of nothingness.”

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

Prolific, New Jersey-based electronic music producer Mark Pompeo is best known by his stage name Mark Wise. And since the release of his solo debut, 2018’s Blizzard EP, Pompeo has released material that features a unique blend of minimal, progressive techno, house and even heavy metal, while receiving support from the likes of Marco Carola, Richie Hawtin, Cristian Varela, Spartaque, Lisa Lashes, Phaedon, Vikthor, Illario Alicante, and DJ Dialog. 

Pompeo began the year with the release of the Rumble in the Jungle EP, which featured the crowd-pleasing, expansive banger, EP title track “Rumble in the Jungle,” and the Guilia and Paxtech remix of “Rumble in the Jungle,” which retained the original’s melodic breakdowEarlier this week, n and relentless tweeter and woofer rattling thump while placing it with a trippy, cosmic sheen.

Continuing his long-held reputation for being prolific, Pompeo recently released the two-track Heavy Metal EP. Earlier this week, I wrote about EP single “Heavy,” a “heavy metal techno” banger featuring scorching synth riffage, tweeter and woofer rattling beats, trippy cosmic squeals within crowd-pleasing, high energy techno.

“Metal,” the second track off the EP pushes the heavy metal techno concept even further. Featuring scorching synth riffage, skittering thump, “Metal” is a wild yet seamless synthesis of thrash metal, goth, industrial techno and acid house centered around a crowd-pleasing accessibility. Play loud, and jump into a mosh pit!

ck, “Metal,” really lets the rock n roll influence shine and brings a screaming faux guitar lead to the forefront with an arrangement that’s just like a rock band – only guitar, bass, and drums!! (The part around 3:08 is pretty epic!)

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

Mark Pompeo is a New Jersey-based electronic music producer, best known by his stage name Mark Wise. The New Jersey-based producer emerged into the electronic music and techno scenes with 2017’s Loco Motive EP, a collaboration with Mike Stein. 

His solo debut, 2018’s Blizzard EP was released through Reflekt Records. And since Blizzard EP‘s release, Pompeo has been remarkably prolific, releasing material that found him crafting a unique blend of minimal, progressive techno, house and lately, heavy metal, while receiving support from the likes of Marco Carola, Richie Hawtin, Cristian Varela, Spartaque, Lisa Lashes, Phaedon, Vikthor, Illario Alicante, and DJ Dialog. 

Pompeo began the year with the release of the Rumble in the Jungle EP, which featured the crowd-pleasing, expansive banger, EP title track “Rumble in the Jungle,” and the Guilia and Paxtech remix of “Rumble in the Jungle,” which retained the original’s melodic breakdown and relentless tweeter and woofer rattling thump while placing it with a trippy, cosmic sheen.

Continuing his long-held reputation for being prolific, Pompeo recently released the two-track Heavy Metal EP. EP single “Heavy” sees the New Jersey-based producer exploring what he has dubbed “heavy metal techno,” a sound that features scorching synth riffage, tweeter and woofer rattling beats, trippy cosmic squeals paired with crowd-pleasing, high-energy techno. Play loud, rock out — and maybe mosh a bit, too.

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

New Audio: Giulia and Paxtech Give Mark Wise’s “Rumble in the Jungle” a Slick Remix

Mark Pompeo is a New Jersey-based electronic music producer, best known as Mark Wise. Pompeo emerged into the electronic music and techno scenes with 2017’s Loco Motive EP, a collaboration with Mike Stein. 

The New Jersey-based producer’s debut 2018’s Blizzard EP was released through Reflekt Records. And since then, Pompeo has been remarkably prolific, releasing material that sees him blending elements of minimal, progressive techno, house and heavy metal while receiving support from the likes of Marco Carola, Richie Hawtin, Cristian Varela, Spartaque, Lisa Lashes, Phaedon, Vikthor, Illario Alicante, and DJ Dialog. 

Continuing his prolific streak, Pompeo begins this year with the Rumble in the Jungle EP, which was released this week through Beatport, YouTube, and SoundCloud with a Spotify release on January 16, 2022, along with remixes from Giulia & Paxtech and Sisko Electrofanatic. Yesterday, I wrote about EP title track “Rumble in the Jungle,” an expansive banger that saw the rising New Jersey-based producer meshing elements of trance, techno, jungle house and deep house in an accessible, crowd pleasing fashion.

The digital release will also feature, a remix of “Rumble in the Jungle,” by Giulia and Paxtech. While retaining the original’s melodic breakdown and relentless tweeter and woofer rattling thump, the remix places in a new context — trippy high energy, acid techno with a subtle cosmic sheen paired with sampled vocals.

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

New Audio: New Jersey’s Mark Wise Releases a Thumping Banger

Mark Pompeo is a New Jersey-based electronic music producer, best known as Mark Wise. Pompeo emerged into the electronic music and techno scenes with 2017’s Loco Motive EP, a collaboration with Mike Stein.

The New Jersey-based producer’s debut 2018’s Blizzard EP was released through Reflekt Records. And since then, Pompeo has been remarkably prolific, releasing material that sees him blending elements of minimal, progressive techno, house and heavy metal while receiving support from the likes of Marco Carola, Richie Hawtin, Cristian Varela, Spartaque, Lisa Lashes, Phaedon, Vikthor, Illario Alicante, and DJ Dialog.

Continuing his prolific streak, Pompeo begins this year with the Rumble in the Jungle EP, which was released this week through Beatport, YouTube, and SoundCloud with a Spotify release on January 16, 2022, along with remixes from Giulia & Paxtech and Sisko Electrofanatic. Rumble in the Jungle EP‘s latest single, EP title track “Rumble in the Jungle” is an expansive banger centered around relentless, tweeter and woofer rattling thump, industrial clang and clatter, glistening synth arpeggios, animal nosies and a euphoric hook. Sonically, the song sees the rising New Jersey-based producer meshing elements of trance, techno, jungle house and deep house in an accessible, crowd pleasing fashion.

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.