Techno Accedi

A firm Drumcode favourite, Mark Reeve is back with his latest techno opus.

Weaving his vitalising, biting techno through the seminal imprint since 2012, Reeve has since become a permanent fixture within Adam Beyer’s camp. He saw demand for his knockout ‘Run Back’ EP being matched and surpassed by his ‘Far Away’ EP. Staunch DC fans will also be familiar with Reeve’s output on the label’s A-Sides compilation series, and clubbers hot on the tails of Drumcode events will have caught him centre stage across a string of showcases, including the inaugural Drumcode Festival.

Reeve’s music invariably endorses an arresting sonic aesthetic, with intense melodies often driving in those eye-closing moments. The title track ‘Distance’ is an atmospheric opening gambit set to sonically massage the senses with uplifting pads and a radiant melody. ‘Serum’, a track recently road-tested by Beyer at a special event in collaboration with Cercle, soars and captivates as it progresses with a low-end rumble and intricate keys. ‘Fix Me’ is a vigorous techno workout that’s intent on energising a clubroom rammed with sweat-soaked dancers. Closing off the EP, ‘Filmwave’ rides a killer groove into a pit of punchy, powerful kick.

Liverpool’s breakout techno star Massano’s second solo release on Drumcode, ‘The Lights’. Following this year’s stellar three-tracker EP ‘Telepathic’ after Massano’s track on last year’s Drumcode A-Sides Vol. 12, Adam Beyer welcomes him back to his imprint.

Massano’s rise continues meteoric, with thunderous festival performances at Tomorrowland, Kappa Futur Festival, Ultra, & ElRow, sold out headline shows at Mute, Brooklyn Mirage, and Hi Ibiza … alongside releases on Afterlife and his own label Simulate which reflects his technology-dominated futuristic vision.

With chart topping success and the prestigious honour of having a BBC R1 Essential Mix, Massano’s aggressively powerful techno and rattling, insistent percussion interspersed with strong melodic riffs is clearly in ever-increasing demand. ‘The Lights’: with typical insouciance, Massano audaciously and successfully melds contrasting scenes/cultures/times – a bubbling, arpy bass and breakdowns of melodic, ‘hammered synth’ notes bring a North African/Middle Eastern vibe, until an interlude of building tension, with demanding drums, siren call, hard stabby chords and a huge drop, introduces a spacey, dystopian, futuristic techno sound. Fast, furious, takes no prisoners, dancefloor-compulsive.

A rare treat for Drumcode faithful: A-Sides Vol.10 is set to drop in December, the second edition of the beloved series to come in 2020.

Fuelled by the extra time and space to be creative during lockdown, Drumcode’s collective of artists have stepped up. Across 17 contributions, the producers have gone deeper into their sonic repertoire, crafting powerful, yet reflective works that capture the range of the label’s sound.

Jay Lumen leads the way with a rousing riff-driven weapon, ‘Galactic Rainbow’, while Ramon Tapia brings us the muscular gem ‘Drum Control’, mixing up ruffneck techno with a barrage of synapse-tickling synths in the second half. Both rousing highlights of the compilation.

Victor Ruiz, Drumcode’s most prolific contributor in 2020, dishes up ‘Love Story’, led by a huge vocal lead. Zimmz also returns with ‘Tension’, which deftly combines deep squelchy grooves with a silky synth interlude. Thomas Hoffknecht follows up his debut on Vol.9 with ‘Escape’, keeping listeners on their toes with dynamic, choppy shifts throughout. Veerus joins with another stirring addition ‘I Know’, reinforcing why Beyer rates him so highly.

Elsewhere a string of debutants feature: buzzy newcomer Lilly Palmer gives us ‘Amnesie’, a brilliantly pummelling and eerie cut; Alex Lentini & Stomp Boxx serve up ‘Expanders’ mixing up drone effects, trippy vocals and an unsettling melody line; and Patrik Berg’s ‘Activated’ is full-bodied techno that drops down into funky rhythms.

Long-time DC family member Bart Skils brings his A-game with the thrilling no-nonsense ‘Solid State’ that hits like a steam train. Likewise, Alan Fitzpatrick who brings a momentous slab of techno energy with ‘Rochus’, while Thomas Schumacher, now feeling like a regular on the imprint, crafts another dark techno opus, this time in collaboration with CAITLIN.

There’s even a special appearance by the chief Adam Beyer, who makes a welcome return with the progressive-tinged ‘Changes’, driven by organic tones and spacey atmospherics. The track stands as his first original contribution to A-Sides since 2017.

DJ Support: Danny Howard, Annie Mac, Mistajam, Pete Tong, Charlie Hedges, Kraak & Smaak, Maxinne, Todd Terry, Alex Preston, Full Intention, GW Harrison, DJ Rae, Rudimental, Alaia & Gallo, Illyus & Barrientos, Johan S, David Penn, Sam Divine, Riva Starr, Claptone, Nice7, Dario D’Attis, Mousse T, S-Man, Huxley, KC Lights, Friend Within, Dombresky, Gorgon City, Chris Lake, Format:B, Pirupa, TCTS, Alan Fitzpatrick, Low Steppa, Mat.Joe, Raumakustik, Eskuche


Kicking things off on our next 4-track vinyl sampler series is Toolroom's very own Martin Ikin who returns to the label with ‘Make U Sweat’! He was the Best-selling Tech House artist on Beatport in 2020 and 2021 and has over 1m monthly listeners across streaming platforms. Recent studio collabs have included Noizu and Joshwa and tours have seen him travel far and wide to the US, Brazil, Bali, Ibiza, Italy, Croatia and of course, his hometown of London. This new record is the follow up to 'Oscill8' that dropped in March 2023 and sits in a similar lane, in that it's pure, unadulterated club weaponry! Next up is Italian house legend Flashmob with the frenetic, high-energy club vibe of new cut ‘My Body’. Flashmob's sound, production and go-for-broke DJ sets have changed with the game, embracing the vitality of new house music rather than hankering after sentimental sunsets. His ethic and aesthetic move relentlessly forward, using the old and new to craft unique sonic alchemy from big festivals like Tomorrowland to the intimacy of small clubs on the international circuit. ‘My Body’ is typical of Flashmob's current sound, combining solid drums and some insane synths and fx, alongside an earworm vocal sample that results in yet another memorable club cut from an established master. Canadian Tech House maestro Nathan Barato debuts on Toolroom kicking off the B-side to the vinyl alongside studio partner, Matheo Velez with 'Weapon'. A record that has already caught the attention of the underground elite with Michael Bibi premiering the track at his first appearance back at DC-10 in Ibiza last Summer. Both artists are enjoying great success across key labels such as Viva, Circus, Snatch and RAWthentic. This is an addictive, bumpy club track

that packs a huge punch on the dance floor and actually features Nathan's very own 'Move me… Rock me' vocals! Rounding things off is UK DJ/producer duo, Jenn Getz & Alfie who are residents at Dubai's #1 nightlife destination, Soho Garden, where they warm up for legends such as Sonny Fodera, MK, Claptone, Solardo & Fisher on a weekly basis. In their relatively short 3 year career they have already released on Solotoko, Abode and Toolroom Trax and now debut on Toolroom with 'Vibration'. Both girls are incredibly passionate about house music and are also big advocates for a life centered around well-being and meditation, and the idea of this record was to combine their 2 passions in life, so they proceeded to co-write these original lyrics to accompany the track, which in itself is very inspiring! This is a super cool club record that will excite fans and DJ's alike, welcome to the Toolroom Family, Jenn Getz & Alfie!

Countless radio plays on Radio 1 from Danny Howard, Sarah Storie, Pete Tong Other notable radio plays – Kiss FM, Toolroom Radio, Sirius XM, Data Transmission Radio, Radio 1 Dance Anthems, Radio 1 Party Anthems, Rinse FM, Select Radio, Tomorrowland Radio