Much as pagans like to see the year as balanced between the different equinoxes, the winter of the hammering end of London techno wobbles from November’s always-epic Plex / BleeD / Them rave and Perc’s February birthday bash. This year Ali Wells has put together another terrific bill that promises to make your 11pm 27th February to 8am on the 28th a race whipped from all sides by 4/4 stiffeners, EBM, jungle and pile-driven pop music. On the bill are AdamX and Perc playing B2B, celebrating their excellent new 12" to which you can listen here, Regis (whose set for Blackest Ever Black’s Berghain birthday was a highlight of 2015), Helena Hauff (whose sets are a highlight of whatever year you might care to mention), Bleaching Agent (ignoring the people’s clamour for a Blacknecks reformation), Kowton, Ansome, Logos playing a jungle and hardcore set, and tQ’s Hamburger Ladies opening proceedings with two hours of angst music for sex people. You can find out who’s going via the facebook page here and buy tickets from RA here. Listen to the playlist above, and here’s why everyone has picked what they’ve picked:
Kowton
Kyle Hall – ‘Flemmenup’
(Wild Oats)
Genius off kilter drums and not a lot else, basically. Not sure the youtube does it justice but it goes off in the club.
Regis
Mike Ink & Walker – ‘Please Don’t Goa’ (Lovecore EP)
(Structure Records)
Even though it sounds like it was pressed on the back of a Digestive biscuit, its still my favourite ‘Techno’ record and was certainly an influence on early Downwards. I played it out somewhere in Europe recently and it went down so badly that I can’t wait to play it again at Corsica Studios.
Ansome
Ansome – ‘Snake Eyes’
(Perc Trax)
Shows where I’m at now with my music and the sound I’m pushing.
Perc
Syncom Data feat. Saara Soini – Rumpukone
(SD Records)
Freaky, grinding industrial vocal business. The perfect breather after run of techno tracks.
Helena Hauff
Digital Poodle – ‘Work Terminal’
(Hyperium)
Solvent got me onto this, they were a big part of the early ’90s scene in Canada. Just got a great re-release on Suction Records with amazing remixes by O/H, Metro Tekno and Solvent himself.
Hamburger Ladies
The Soft Moon – Desertion (Phase Fatale remix)
(Captured Tracks)
The Soft Moons’ recent remix EP is absolute killer, firming up their sonic buttocks into just the sort of black silica peaches that get the Hamburger Ladies going.
Logos
Inta Warriors – ‘Dreams of Heaven (The Chance Mix)’
(Dee Jay Recordings)
1993 business. Made by the great Grooverider aka Codename John aka Inta Warriors. A seriously under-rated producer who always brought an angular and unorthadox stance on the buttons, the Chance Mix flips the original and sends it spinning into the Kuiper belt; suspended reese bass orbiting disconnected breakbeats and the familiar vocal refrain. One for the 7am zone-out crew, I’ll definitely draw for this.
Adam X
Monolith – ‘Ghost Cities’
(Sonic Groove)
Where Rhythm and Noise meets hypnotism.
Bleaching Agent
The Associates – ‘White Car In Germany’
(Situation Two)
Histrionic punk, coldwave, proto-gabber, blue eyed soul, whatever you want to call it.
