Having been closely associated for the best part of two years via Alan Fitzpatrick's output on Adam Beyers Drumcode label, it comes as little surprise that Beyer and Fitzpatrick have ended up sharing the same studio space for long enough to write some tracks together. This joint EP contains two collaborations Human Reason and Tor which the pair created during an extended stay in UK following last September's Drumcode warehouse party in London. Featured alongside the collaborations is Adam's latest solo creation Simple Maze which is accompanied by a remix from Patrick Siech to complete this heavy-weight package.
It was way back in 1996 that Drumcode label-boss Adam Beyer turned to good friend Jesper Dahlbäck under his Lenk alias for the inaugural Drumcode 12. Now, fifteen years later, the pioneering Swede makes a return to the label under his own name for this expansive four track EP entitled Interpersonal Relationship. The incredibly detailed You Got Me opens the EP and evokes mid-nineties dancefloor workouts skilfully with a nagging vocal loop sitting atop a fluid and utterly contemporary pairing of percussion and effects. The low-slung and dubbed-out locked groove of the wonderfully titled Violent Backlash follows and comes on like a master class in controlled aggression. A relentless synth drone and lung-collapsing toms leaping from the mix is pretty much all that is needed, and all that is used. Interpersonal Relationship continues with considerable menace. A determined kick drum combines with a two note, pulsing bass while the track mutates via a mixture of clever filtering, drops, tight delays and fantastic, gently clipped conga loop. Our Love closes the EP Interpersonal Relationship EP but, despite its somewhat sentimental title, continues the aggressive themes set out in tracks one to three. Further exploring the intense vocal loop theme, it ties in nicely with the opener and completes the EP as neatly as it does explosively.
Jerome Sydenham follows up his imposing The Visitation release for Drumcode with the 5 track Trombipolution EP. One of the few producers who can slip effortlessly from house to techno while retaining his own feel to his output, Sydenham is progressive in the true sense of the word and his pairing with Drumcode is a winning formula. Across the EP the drums take center stage, with Sydneham building intense grooves as beds for a variety of sounds ranging from abrasive synths (Trombipolution) to moody washes (Push to Enter) via traditional stabs (Bite/Amp) and penetrating leads (In the Zone). As with all of Sydenhams work, the Trombipolution EP is as laced with New York house feeling as it is with Berlins wintery techno moodiness and that is what makes it essential listening. Amp includes sample taken from The Advent "Ventad" on Colin Dales label, Abstract Dance
Sasha Carassi hails from Italy's capital of techno, Naples, and has chalked up 8 years of releases which have seen love from the breadth of the modern techno scene. His Globox label has also gained worldwide respect for its 5 years of consistently quality output while his most recent 'White Sucker EP' release for Harthouse has added further value to his stock. Having been a frequent component of Adam Beyer's DJ sets for years, Carassi was asked to deliver an EP for the Drumcode imprint and 'Hypercombo' is the result. Comprising 5 tracks of typically uncompromising techno which live up to the Drumcode reputation, 'Hypercombo' rounds off a year of blistering releases from Slam, Alexi Delano, Beyer, Gregor Tresher and many more. Each track, while visceral and and at times brilliantly savage, features the sort of detail which Carassi believes is so important in music. From the carefully placed percussive flourishes in the title track to the all encompassing atmospherics of Diamond, there are continually shifting components building extreme tension throughout the EP.
Drumcode's seemingly endless list of Swedish talent further expands with 'Crude' from Patrick Siech who makes his debut for revered imprint this Winter. A long term promoter and DJ in Sweden, Siech's transition to production has been a sucessful one, following a few releases for the Kant label, is now welcomed aboard Adam Beyer's long-running techno mainstay. 'Crude', due to the combination of incredibly detailed (and tripped-out) edits/sound evolution and a lolloping loose bassline, is a woozy peak time anthem which doesn't quit. B-side, 'Bad Carnival', is a heavily percussive, contemporary tribal techno cut which takes no prisoners. Complete with the sort of inebriated bassline as its A-Side counterpart but with an additional sense of percussive menace, 'Bad Carnival' makes for yet another nicely weighted Drumcode release.
Frankfurt-based Gregor Tresher is the latest addition to Drumcode's growing roster of talent as he makes his debut on DC with his 'Through Dusty Windows' EP. From the the bumping groove of the title track 'Through Dusty Windows' to the widescreen sounds of the 'Sidewinder', Tresher has delivered three tracks which further the Drumcode mission perfectly. Detuned keys sit atop powerful grooves to create commanding late night techno with a well judged sense of funk throughout. The swinging tenseness of 'Never Care' rounds off the brilliant originals but, as always with Drumcode there's just a little bit more, this time from Reset Robot. As you'd expect from an artist who debuted on 2000AndOnes 100% Pure imprint, the Reset Robot remix of 'Sidewinder' is an infectious, drummy tech-house funker with uncomprimising dancefloor appeal.
Presented as a three-track EP, Slams latest body of work for Drumcode covers a range of styles, drawing on their vast experience of the multi-colored nature of techno. Vespula, with its resolute groove and low, humming bass works the speakers hardest, while synth stabs, dramatic drawn out chords and a distinctive two-tone hook add contrast. Resume puts musicality to the fore by creating a melodic ride that flows from an undulating bass line and a soaring synth line whilst retaining a strong percussive energy. Metus beats out a slow burning but impactful groove that swings between an intricate, multi-layered arrangement of wigged out atmospherics and industrial clunks and clanks
