Techno News

überraschend clubby das ganze!!

When this record was first released back in 1996, it came with an hilarious press release that had something to do with a hidden data track featuring the voice controlled web browser U-Scape. As outdated this nonsense is now, the music still sounds fresh like with most U-TRAX original releases from the 90s. Created by Dutch techno veterans Maarten van der Vleuten and Tjeerd Verbeek, this is one of the three last U-TRAX releases of the 90s; releases that marked a new, more intense musical direction for the label and that are all very dear to us personally.

The title of the 5-track EP is inspired by the area in Utrecht where Tjeerd and U-TRAX label boss DJ White Delight used to live in. Tjeerd then was very successful as Trance Induction and Pyrex Detox, and had just founded his own record-label Desert Rose Industries. Maarten's collected works include hundreds of tracks, using 40+ aliases, like Major Malfunction, In Existence and Flux. He too had then just started his own record-label, named Signum Recordings. Like U-TRAX, both producers have been releasing new material on their old labels in recent years.

Maarten and Tjeerd at one point got together and composed some soothing, yet dark and deep techno-tracks with an ambient feel to them. "MT34" makes you feel you're walking across an Indian marketplace, with snake charmers playing their characteristic sounds, backed by some jumpy 909-rhythms, while "Winter" sounds like the darkest Icelandic winter storm you can imagine. "101" was singled out in the infamous 1996 press release as the data-track containing the U-Scape browser. Coincidentally, it is quite pleasant to listen to! It sounds like an experimental track with crispy clear ultra-low and extremely high pitched sounds. The flipside brings you the melancholic and gripping Ice and the old-school and tranquilizing ambient track "Fusion".

Original release date: November 1996.

Humanoid strikes back on De:tuned with a remastered version of the pioneering 1988 crossover UK number 1 Dance Single "Stakker Humanoid". This major influential UK acid house cut has been breaking down UK culture barriers since its original release. Humanoid's music was also used in Stakker "Eurotechno", now housed in The Museum of Modern Art located in New York. De:tuned have invited personal favourites Autechre, Luke Vibert and Mike Dred to rework the new and uncompromising update "sT8818r" (previously released on DE:10.08) to complement the classic original. Prepare to have your mind blown once more!

The impeccable Ian Anderson at The Designers Republic created all the graphic work. Mastered by Matt Colton at Metropolis and pressed on 180 gr vinyl. Stay tuned!

clear magenta vinyl
Humanoid strikes back on De:tuned with a remastered version of the pioneering 1988 crossover UK number 1 Dance Single "Stakker Humanoid". This major influential UK acid house cut has been breaking down UK culture barriers since its original release. Humanoid's music was also used in Stakker "Eurotechno", now housed in The Museum of Modern Art located in New York. De:tuned have invited personal favourites Autechre, Luke Vibert and Mike Dred to rework the new and uncompromising update "sT8818r" (previously released on DE:10.08) to complement the classic original. Prepare to have your mind blown once more!

The impeccable Ian Anderson at The Designers Republic created all the graphic work. Mastered by Matt Colton at Metropolis and pressed on 180 gr vinyl. Stay tuned!

Lost In Space is an exotic music excursion into the unknown - discovering the sectors of Outer Space and encountering unexpected occurrences which is to be the objective, narrative and attraction. Like the architecture and habitation structure of a jungle, life exist and persist everywhere, but only by the degree of our 5 basic human senses.An extraordinary musical creation by the Electronic Music and artist Jeff Mills, he conceives Lost In Space with the future of mankind's advances in Space travel and colonizing other planets in mind. It is a reach to grasp for subjects like the other types of time", "the crashing of Worlds" and "the illusions we create" in our minds and what we believe to reality. Fusing Classical and Electronic music is the only way to play out a scenario of such magnitude of possibilities.The music was created for the classical orchestral version commissioned by Orchestre National Du Capitole de Toulouse, France. The concerts are scheduled to be in early April 2018.

Stunning 30th Anniversary Limited Edition Boxset, 12x12” 180g Vinyl Silver Pantone + Foil on Ultrablack Board, 16 page booklet , Download Card, Double-sided 90x60 Poster, Sticker Pack. (Non-Returnable)

Since 1991, Tresor has provided a home for artists to germinate their ideas for advanced new sounds and broadcast them to the world. The pioneers that first traversed the Detroit-Berlin connection and were at the forefront of a new cultural movement gave to Tresor its original and continuing mission: community, resistance and reshaping the world to come.

The Tresor 30 compilation represents a major land- mark in this continuing history of electronic music. This unique collection of music profiles some of the artists that gave the previous three decades of Tresor its sound and foundation, but it also casts its gaze forward. Writing new postcards from the future, this collection brings new artists who main- tain a connection to that original mission to the fore, charting ways in which this ethos can contin- ue to build bridges and break walls in the next 30 years.

Bringing together 52 essential tracks - both clas- sics and exclusive commissions - each of the 12 records in this box-set charts a unique line of flight from those artists that helped define the shape of this new music to those who continue to pattern its landscape further.

The future is bright and it’s now.

White Vinyl

Remastered repressing of Stephan Bodzin´s and Marc Romboy´s biggest common classic track „Atlas“ plus „Hyperion“, an insiders tip on the flipside. The pressing comes along with the original signature artwork which made the imprint Systematic popular. Go and get this temporary released collector´s item!

All the gems of Electronic Music in a 5 LP boxset with : Fakear • Kölsch • Fritz Kalkbrenner • Laurent Garnier • Bicep • Kerri Chandler • Thylacine • Bob Sinclar • Mr. Oizo • The Prodigy • Alex Gopher • Purple Disco Machine…

The story of each re-release begins with the original. In the late 90s, Uwe Zahn (Arovane), along with Robert Henke (Monolake) and Stefan Betke (Pole), began releasing music on Torsten Pröfrock’s (Dynamo) newly launched DIN label. This was a very inconspicuous undertaking, but fans of the flourishing IDM, glitch, and constantly evolving abstract techno genres quickly picked up on the quality of sound coming out of Germany. After a few successful EPs, Zahn began working on his debut full-length, Atol Scrap. The release was a success, at least in the underground circles, where followers of the melodic harmonies, stuttering off-beat rhythms, and, most importantly, advanced sound design feverishly consumed the imprint’s output. There was only one thing missing – the album was never pressed on vinyl, and for decades remained in the digital domain. The fans, of course, inquired. There were multiple offers on the table, but Zahn retained control until he was assured that it was properly attained. “I thought of taking everything into my own hands and releasing the record myself,” says Zahn, “but at the end of last year, Matthias from Keplar asked me to re-release Atol Scrap on vinyl.” The label and its owner revolve in the Morr Music universe, and so it made sense for Zahn to trust the platform to treat the record right.

Listening to Atol Scrap over twenty years later it is inane not to admit how well it has held up. Where other genres clearly aged, becoming stale, bland, and dull, the music on eleven tasty tracks still keeps the neurons tickled with each note. More than an echo of the past, the bottled sound truly has matured. Many of the newly evolving techniques are recognizable on the album. “I created the digital artifacts with a digital multi-track recorder, the Fostex D80,” recalls Zahn. “The thing had a scrub wheel with which I could achieve wonderful glitch effects by winding through the audio data. I have sampled and further processed these artifacts.” And this approach is still embedded in Zahn’s sound design. “I still use my 24-track analog desk from Tascam to mix my audio. I love to use hardware synths and samplers. I’ve definitely built upon my studio experience in the 90s.” From this debut to the most recent output, Arovane’s sound has evolved to become more intricate, detailed, and pronounced. “My music has become much quieter and much slower. But that’s probably also due to the noise in the world.” And just as Atol Scrap reminds Zahn of the past, retaining charm preserved in a container traveling through time, it also jitters memories of long ago, when we were twenty years younger, less experienced, and bold. For me, among the many records of the time, this album held a special place in life, my heart, and many CD boxes moved across the world. And now I’m only happy to restock the vinyl space, where Atol Scrap belongs among the beloved records. Welcome home. - Mike Lazarev

Remastered and cut to vinyl by Kassian Troyer @ D&M. Cover art by Jim Kühnel based on a photograph by Uwe Zahn.

'No Photos on the Dance Floor! Berlin Techno 1992–Today', compiled by Heiko Hoffmann, follows a hugely successful photography and video art exhibition by the same name that was co-curated by Hoffmann and shown at C/O Berlin in late 2019. The exhibition included works by photographers and visual artists such as Wolfgang Tillmans, Romual Karmakar, Sven Marquardt and Camille Blake, that dealt with Berlin’s club culture since the fall of the wall. It was followed in 2020 by a book of the same name which collected together the most striking imagery from the exhibition alongside interviews and personal essays.

'No Photos on the Dance Floor!' is the first compilation to trace the history of techno made in Berlin over the last three decades, with a selection of classics and hidden gems that have helped shape Berlin’s sound from the early 90s until now. The title refers to a particularity of the Berlin club scene: photography is banned in almost all the important clubs to allow partying together in a space where you can lose yourself to the music and feel free and safe at the same time.

After the Berlin Wall fell in 1989, abandoned spaces and buildings were waiting to be filled with new life in the form of clubs, bars, galleries, workshops, and studios. Berlin became the epicenter of a new nightlife culture that soon resonated around the world. Berlin’s techno scene was heavily influenced by the pioneering sounds of Detroit techno created by African-American producers such as Juan Atkins, Kevin Saunderson and Underground Resistance.

Their records were imported to the Berlin DJ scene by the record store Hardwax, based on the ground floor of a building on Reichenberger Straße in Kreuzberg, from December 1989 onward. The original temples of DJ culture in New York amd Chicago, as well as the emerging rave culture developing in London and Manchester via Ibiza, would also go on to shape Berlin’s nightlife. Party series like Tekknozid and clubs such as Ufo, Tresor, and Planet can retrospectively be interpreted as the big bang of the first shared culture between Germany's East and West, having paved the way for what is still the last and biggest expression of European youth culture.

Part 1 of the vinyl edition focuses on the period between 1992 and 2006, with early 90s tracks by Thomas Fehlmann and Moritz von Oswald’s 3MB project (who teamed up with Detroit’s Juan Atkins on compilation opener 'The 4th Quarter'), Berlin techno pioneer DJ Tanith and Mijk van Dijk’s short-lived project 9-10-Boy, von Oswald’s and Ernestus’ influential Maurizio alias, and Alec Empire, who would later go on to start influential noise/industrial band Atari Teenage Riot. Further key tracks from the first half of the aughts come from Mo Loschelder and Klaus Kotai’s Elektro Music Department label, Sleeparchive and Ableton Live co-developer Robert Henke aka Monolake.

Part 2 is drawn from tracks made between 2007 and today, starting at a point when the city became the center for a new creative community of international artists, DJs and producers who often favoured the minimalist aesthetic & musical styles of clubs such as Berghain, Bar25 and Watergate and stayed for the ease of living. Beginning with a remix by Plastikman aka Richie Hawtin of his Minus label signee Heartthrob, the two 12"s also feature contributions from Ben Klock, Avalon Emerson and Modeselektor.

In addition to the two-part vinyl release, 'No Photos on the Dance Floor!' will also be available in expanded CD & digital formats, featuring additional tracks by Rødhad, Efdemin and Ricardo Villalobos.

The record was compiled by Heiko Hoffmann, former editor of Groove magazine and co-curator and co-editor of the 'No Photos on the Dance Floor!' exhibition and accompanying book. The double-vinyl release also features full-format photography by George Nebieridze and Wolfgang Tillmans.

White Vinyl

This 3 track EP produced by Noise Factory and showcases sum serious anthems that can stand the test of time.
Upholding the essence of hardcore musik scene n the merging into what was to be jungle musik ... Can You Feel The Rush - This track was produced in 1992 by Noise Factory and sums up the vibes at that time and stands out due to the piano stabs merging with the drum patterns while upholding the hardcore elements with the strong leading vocals from homeboy Danny from Tottenham.

AA. The Buzz - This track produced by Noise Factory back in 1991 was a major game changer with the piano stabs and sub bass crossing over with the hardcore elements helps this track to stand the testimony of time. This track was named by Mad P from Top Buzz.
AAA. Feel The Music - This track produced in 1991 by Noise Factory represents hardcore jungle at its best with the samples and speeded up vocals alongside sum heavy sub bass.

Steady rockin bass/electronica tracks with those melancholic Rephlex hints.

This is one of the biggest finds of the millenium for us here at Underground Music. Unreleased music by Grand Master Lenny Dee. Originally produced back in the early 90s, the master DAT has sat in a bottom drawer until it was unearthed by us. It's hard to put in to words the influence Lenny Dee and Caspar Pound had on the dance music scene. Witnessing Lenny Djing back in 1992 influenced the path Underground Music would take for the next 25 years. It's true to say this is very much a vanity project for UM. The fact it has incredible unreleased music on it too is a bonus. We've gone all out on a mind warping 12" printed sleeve with superb vinyl mastering by Shane The Cutter. Shanes work tops off these ground breaking seminal techno tunes from one of the planets finest artists to grace the scene. Limited to 300 copies.

The Artists Formerly Known As The Connection Machine (Utrecht, Netherlands) go raw and mean on this one! If the underground The Hague-style from the 90s is your thing, this 12" is your cup of tea. 4 hectic 808/303 trax, all mixed in a dirty way, with loadsa fx on the 303.

The Connection Machine/Cray Emoticon is the multi-talented duo of Natasja Hagemeier and Jeroen Brandjes, who debuted on U-TRAX in 1993 with their instant classic and much sought after 'The Dreamtec Album' (catalogue no: 3 UTR UMM 1). They went on to create another epic release called 'The Black Hole EP' on U-TRAX (catalogue no: 5 UTR UMM 2), but not after they presented 'Bitflower', a true work of art on Planet E from Detroit. Later they released the CD album 'Painless' on Down Low Music and in more recent years two 12"s (shared with The Lost Trax) and an album on Tabernacle Records from the UK.

The title track is originally meant as a replacement for the original game music of level 9 of the 2nd episode (E2L9) of the computer game Doom. The artists thought the original score wasn't doing right to the intensity of the game and made their own apocalyptic soundtrack. 'Gnawing The Heart' already proved its usefulness on many a dancefloor, whilst 'Choice Chip' will satisfy the ultimate speed freaks amongst you. If you're not into drugs or mushrooms, 'I Wish My Zapper Was A Gun' can deliver you the same effects: it's a psychedelic space-acid trip, built around a sample of the sitcom 'Neighbours'.

You can't get wrong with this vintage and merciless dance floor material from the mid-nineties.

Original release date: October 1995.