quête:dj phoen

Adam Beyer's Drumcode juggernaut attracts more fans and critical plaudits with each passing year. Holding firm on its future facing ethos, techno's number one label presents a new volume in its acclaimed A-Sides series with 20 prime tracks to signify its 20th anniversary.

Such is the volume of quality music Adam Beyer receives throughout the course of the year, releasing all of it would be impossible. Enter the blue chip A-Sides series: a chance for the quality-obsessive label head to issue a collection of outstanding tracks that couldn't fit in their regular EP release schedule.

With an eye on future talent, as much as the label's established roster of heavy-hitters, the compilation showcases the full breadth of Drumcode's multifaceted techno sound, equal parts inspiring and functional.

Led by the stealth techno funk of 'Nine of You', Beyer's deft collaboration with Mark Reeve, the compilation takes in exciting highlights from big guns such as Alan Fitzpatrick, Dustin Zahn, Bart Skils, Pleasurekraft, Luca Agnelli, Jay Lumen, Kaiserdisco and Gary Beck.

The rich vein of form displayed by emerging techno talent is similarly given prime position. Rising DJ/producer Boxia makes his Drumcode debut, fresh from a well-received warm up set for the crew at the hugely successful Junction 2 festival in London, while the likes of Enrico Sangiuliano, Juan Sanchez, Ian O'Donovan and Timmo also drop fire, establishing their credentials as some of the most promising talent breaking through the ranks in 2016.


Reinforcing the global scope of the label, artists such as The Junkies from Toronto and Layton Giordani from New York, prove techno is winning a place in the heart of the new generation of artists coming out of North America.

It means Noisy Stars'' - Fergus Lawrie.

So it's coming up for the 20th anniversary of the We Are Urusei Yatsura' album, so what better time to look back at the broken Woolworths guitars, damaged eardrums and bleeding knuckles of Glasgow's lo-fi, Tokyo dreaming geek rock quartet

You could say it all began at the Glasgow Sound City event, when legendary BBC DJ John Peel came along to check out Urusei Yatsura at the 13th Note at the invitation of future Franz Ferdinand front-man Alex Kapranos. Liking the chaos that he saw, Peel invited the band to record a session for his show, asking live on air while guitarist and singer Graham Kemp was visiting the studio to talk about his Kitten Frenzy' fanzine the next day.

Peel arranged for us to record the session in Glasgow' says Kemp, We didn't have any amps or any money to get to London.' Producer Stewart Cruickshank told the band that it was the first Peel Session recorded outside of Maida Vale since the Undertones. So no pressure there then.

This began a long association with John Peel and the BBC, which saw the band record 5 Peel Sessions, 3 Evening Sessions for Steve Lamacq, play live to air for Mark Radcliffe, and appear regularly on Radio Scotland for John Cavanagh and Mark Percival. Digging through old C-90's that had been partly taped over with that week's charts, the band have pieced together a compilation of the best tunes for you, the discerning 90's indie rock aficionado.

..they sounded a bit like the Saints' - Thurston Moore, SELECT

Some of the recordings we did for the BBC, I think, are better than what eventually made it onto vinyl. We did Kewpies Like Watermelon' live in the control room for Radio Scotland and we had just learned it so it sounds really fresh and exciting. The version of Siamese' is the best we ever captured, and I love the Dice/Nae Dice' tune we wrote especially for Peel'. - Kemp

The challenge of recording and mixing four songs in a single day brought out the best in the band, and suited their impulsive, DIY rock n' roll spirit. The album, available on CD and vinyl, features 11 songs, including session versions of 6 singles, choice album tracks and live favourites from the only band who have been threatened by both the Yakuza and the Mafia (the latter incident generating the hilarious headline Nerds Threatened With Death' in the Sun newspaper'). The band have decided to call this hand-picked selection of the highlights of an eight year career', You Are My Urusei Yatsura, BBC Radio Sessions.

Other highlights of said career include, a number one indie single with a video shot in a Star Trek themed bar (Phasers On Stun), a Peel Festive Fifty placing (Kewpies Like Watermelon) an actual top 40 hit (Hello Tiger), numerous chaotic tours of Europe, UK and USA ,narrowly surviving a collapsing stage at Benecassim and a tent fire at Phoenix Festival, releasing three studio albums and 13 singles (including splits with Mogwai, the Delgados and the Blisters), taking Mogwai, Eska and Pink Kross on their first UK tours, supporting Super Furry Animals, Pavement and Teenage Fanclub, playing at Roskilde, Reading and T In The Park festivals, The CMJ festival in New York and MIDEM in Cannes.

The band consisted of the writers Fergus Lawrie (guitar and vocals) and Graham Kemp (guitar and vocals), with brother and sister rhythm section Elaine and Ian Graham on bass and drums respectively.

Warmer than warm club/techno groovers by the man Brooks Mosher, delivering his third release on Dolly. 4 very strong cuts with exactly that dreamy & sensual feeling which might be the main reason why we like to dance & sweat in the dark so much... body to body with the eyes closed, far away from everyday trouble... Dance, make love and heal yourself. Powerful dj-tool on several levels!