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Been feeling the summer here in Greece for some time now and i'm in a certain summery EDM mood myself. Although i have to say its not always summer-uplifting EDM, winter-downtempo, the opposite surely happens as well (at least for me!). The spring lately brought memories of my lovely 2002 deep/tech house and techno djing days, making me going to listen to some really beautifull albums i have!Its all about the groovy warm beats, the jazzy chords and the Detroit futuristic pads now for me. Here is what i'm into lately:
The Timewriter-"Jigsaw Pieces"
Absolute Deep House classic. Listen to the simple beauty of "Here Comes The Sun" with the lovely jazzy riffs and the summery background pads, to the lush ambient deep house of "Words", to the melancholic moodyness of "Jesus", to the dynamic offcord tech-house ambience of "Tender Wind On A Summernight", or get lost in the deep techy hypnotic grooves of "Almost Lost (On A Deep Train Tonight)". There are some lovely ambient-cinematic moments like "Sensual Pieces". Great album for great weather!
John Beltran- "Ten Days Of Blue"
This is seriously the most spiritual and ethereal deep detroit techno album ever made. This music has life of its own and flows like water-streams on a lush green valley (or like car light-streams on a neon-highway). Even the opening track which is based on harsh industrial beats has a soft auditory result with the orchestral pads. The second track, "Collage of Dreams" though introduces the true spirit of the album with looped classic quitar and ethereal synth-voices. The theme continues to "Guitaris Breeze (6000 km to Amsterdam)" and "Ten Days of Blue" all absolutely gentle and lush emotional techno pieces which have both the power to move you and relax you at the same time! "Deluge" is an endless arpeggiated drive on a neon highway whereas "Soft Summer" is the most beautifull EDM track i've heard in my life! (Seriously!).
Funk D'Void - "Volume Freak"
One of the greatest later Detroit Techno and Tech-House albums. This album is full of huge glimmering strings that hit you like warm summer wind, its really all about the strings. "Can't Get Enough of A Bad Thing" is a great male techno number with a tech-house groove, absolutely great sweeping pads and wonderful playfull arpeggios and the same theme goes for "Way Up High" (only more upbeat),whereas "Electrix 303" is lovely futuristic Detroit Electro. "Emotional Content" is (as the title suggests) emotional techno with beautifully modulated synth lead and orchestral riffs, whereas "All That Matters" is another great driving nocturnal number full of neon-shocked pads. Some nasty jacking techno and electro in there, some downtempo like "Sueno For Somebody" and ofcourse the great end-of-the-night Detroit anthem "Diabla"! One of the best albums for night-driving!
Jori Hulkkonen - "Different"
Although the most accomplished album of Jori must be "Dualizm", this is like an excellent EDM album ("Dualizm" is more about the downtempo/synthpop/electronica stuff). This album has the best elements of Chicago House and Detroit Techno all packed in one! Deep, Summery, Soulfull, Futuristic, Moody, Cold, Minimalistic, Warm, it really has everything and despite the variety, it steels keeps an atmosphere through-out. "You are My Excuse For Being Me" is a great deep soulfull house track with orchestral lines and nice brass whereas the next track "Four Seasons, Four Loves" dives into deeeep and mooody house territory great for stylistic Lounge bars or personal home listenings with some wine. "Strange Faith" has a great down-tempo 80s summery synth-pop atmosphere and great nostalgic quitar which contrasts with "Miniaturized" which is upbeat deep/tech-house with the Detroit-strings twist. "Man From Solaris" is some great (as the title suggests) cosmic sci-fi housey funk and again contrasts with the moody jazz house deepness of "Abstract Living". Even the last two tracks provide something different, "Latin Taiga" is a great moody and melancholic latin-house (!) number, whereas the last "Blue and White" track is a deep and moody hip-hop track. Overall a great Chilled Deep-House album fantastic for the summer (or the spring!).
The Field- "From Here We Go Sublime"
Hah, ok i cheat this is not deep house, tech house or deep techno, this is modern minimal techno of the Kompakt label which many of you TAs hate (including me!). Yes, lots of Kompakt stuff are non-sense, but oh boy, isn't this a sssswweeeeeetttt minimal techno album? This is more like techno with huge repeatetive soundscapes, almost "shoegaze-techno" and in contrast to all other minimal techno (which is not even good for Winter!) this is the only "minimal-techno-album-appropriate-for-good-weather"! Listen to the intense repeatetive rhythmical soundscapes, vox and metallic beats of "Over The Ice" and understand why over the ice lies the SUN. "A Paw In My Face" has a nice interplay between deep beats and what sounds like a detuned quitar all based on top of a pad-stream, resulting in strange playfull and cheery tickling emotions! In cotrast to the deep nightmare of the next track though- "Good Things End"- which sounds like veerrry deeep techno coming out from the vaults of the abyss,possibly reffering to the deep'n'dubbed-out techno of Basic Channel and co.but always with the Field twist. Only to come back with the cheery and emotional upbeat micro-techno of "The Little Heart Beats So Fast", suggesting that this guy must suffering from Bipolar Disorder or something.He must also be a fan of the good old XTC as it is revealed through the hypnotic, upbeat and a the same time, melancholic (as good old trance used to be) neo-trance of "Everyday". "The Deal" and "Sun and Ice" are excellent "shoegaze techno" numbers, especially the second one which has a huggee lusssh pad in it, it is so huge that one canno't listen to the beat. It would be interesting to listen to these tracks in a huge soundsystem. Almost like "Dynamic Ambient". "Mobilia" is a great deep techno number with the odd a-la-thefield chopped and looped micro-melody and the last track sounds like a-la the field dub or something. Great listen!
2 good extra albums
Joris Voorn - "From a Deep Place"
Aesthetically, where Funk D'Void's "Volume Freak" left. Excellent futuristic modern techno full of strings, great for sunny days and warm nights!
The Youngsters- "Lemon Orange"
These French from F-Comm do their Detroit Techno with a luxurious loungey twist. This is the Detroit Techno album for nice summer bars and expensive restaurants! Absolutely great.
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