Tuesday 25 May 2010

Slow Techno : Domu - Quarantine

Domu Quarantine Slow Techno
Domu is best known for his works in the genres of broken beat and drum & bass. Here we have an outing of his released on New Religion back in 2005. 'Quarantine' featured on the 'Electric Institute' compilation alongside music from the likes of Balil, Carl Craig and Kirk Degiorgio. This cut could be described as broken beat, nu-jazz, broken techno or slow techno as it can fit into any of those categories. Fans of Floating Points will enjoy this production as it has a real space funk vibe to it. Jazz Funk heads and Underground Resistance followers will immediately be able to tap into the vibe that Dominic Stanton has created here - futuristic, funky, melodic, uplifting and dancefloor too. You could not ask for more! This release was a firm favourite of Patrick Forge's that he used to play on his legendary Kiss100FM radio show (now sorely missed).



Wednesday 12 May 2010

Slow Techno : Robert Hood - Aural 512

Robert Hood - Slow Techno
We hit you with another killer cut from the Peacefrog label. This time, the mighty Robert Hood is the artist we are focusing on. The Underground Resistance co-founder has had a prolific career in techno with releases on Metroplex, Axis, Tresor and many more.

'Aural 512' is a lesser known track but is a beautiful piece of slow techno containing lush melodies and plucked instrumentation that combine with an uplifting soulful groove with a Latin element that moves both feet and minds. This featured on Hood's 'Wire To Wire' album back in 2003 which is a delightful journey through electronic styles. We recommend that you check out the full album.





Tuesday 4 May 2010

Slow Techno - A Definition

Here is a definition of techno that we have discovered courtesy of Dmoz.org:

"Techno is a hard and fast style of electronic music. The speed of tracks is usually between 135 and 150 bpm. There are usually no vocals, and no guitars or other "live" sounding instruments. Techno can be found in warehouses, clubs and outdoor festivals around the world."

http://www.dmoz.org/Arts/Music/Styles/D/Dance/Techno/desc.html

This definition links in well with how we have therefore defined 'Slow Techno' in a previous post:

http://www.slowtechno.com/2010/04/what-is-slow-techno.html

Finding accurate definitions of the genre is not easy so we salute Dmoz for this clarity.

Slow Techno : Purveyors Of Fine Funk - Ashes Smashing Red

Purveyors Of Fine Funk - Slow Techno
Peacefrog released this gem back in 1995. Dan Curtin, Mike Filly & Tatsuro Hayashi are the trio behind this legendary outfit. 'Ashes Smashing Red' is hidden away on the b-side of the 12" but became recognised as a great slow techno track. Starting off with pure atmosphere and light percussion, the groove soon takes over with fantastic rhythms, sub bass and hypnotic pads that loop over and over. Make sure you catch this on a good system as the deep and low bass needs to be heard properly to appreciate this great tune.

Not a particularly slow track for the era but the timeless nature of this piece means that this release now works brilliantly in deep techno contexts. A tune for the 4am Fabric crew or a great early doors track to get the momentum of a set going. One to hunt down - fifteen years on this still does the business.




Saturday 1 May 2010

Slow Techno : Paperclip People - Oscillator

Carl Craig has worked under many guises but Paperclip People has to be one of his best. The album 'Secret Tapes Of Dr Eich' contains some real classics such as 'Throw' and 'The Climax.' Here we have 'Oscillator' as released on Retroactive. Containing samples from the Mortal Kombat computer game, the 'Power Of Love (Remix)' by Deee-Lite and Mantronix's 'King Of The Beats' this is a breakbeat driven piece of analogue screeching slow techno. Opening with pads this launches straight into the cow bell driven floor shaker as the sweet open hat rides on the four-four with the break kicking over the top. The distorted synth line owns the tune as it pitches up and down across the track. Pure genius from the Detroit legend that still sounds amazing despite being released back in 1991. Seek it out.