#03 - EPM 10 compilation
: 1 March 2011
Having worked closely with all the artists on this compilation over the past decade; whether by artist management, PR, club promotion, radio plugging, DJ booking, publishing or digital distribution ‘EPM 10’ exclusively showcases some of the most highly regarded artists from the worlds of techno, house, industrial, electro and experimental electronic music. From 80s italo-disco legend Alexander Robotnick to leaders of nu-school house (Dirt Crew, Marco Passarani, Marius) and techno innovators (Robert Hood, Orlando Voorn, James Ruskin, Mark Broom) to industrial experimentalists Sandwell District and purveyors of the finest electro beats (Detroit Grand Pubahs, Radioactive Man and Billy Nasty) this compilation captures the ethos and spirit of what EPM is about.
Kick starting EPM’s launch into the world of label impresarios we have none other than Alexander Robotnick who updates his 80s italo-disco sound into the bouncing, electro-house number ‘Running About’ infused with his unique musical approach to rhythm and sound. Turning up the tempo a notch we have Detroit Grand Pubahs whose ‘Civil War 2013’ welds Detroit techno with Drexciya like sound experimentation and keeping things firmly with Detroit we have Robert Hood in his disco-tinged Floorplan guise as ‘Move It’s hypnotic, minimal swirl has all the hallmarks of another classic M-Plant production.
Taking us back into a more Chicago house direction we find Rome’s electro-warrior, Marco Passarani dropping the bumping acid-groove of ‘Sick Bam Stab’ under his Analog Fingerprints alias whilst the piano driven, Balearic house grooves of Norwegian rising star Marius Våreid (Full Pupp, Maxi Discs, Azuli, Composite) lead us to the sun-kissed ‘Jet Set’ and completing the house middle section we find Berlin based production, live and DJ team Dirt Crew as they delve ever deeper into ‘The Sound’.
Leading us into the darkness we find the masters of industrial, experimental and techno fusion as Regis and Function converge on Berlin as the unmistakable layered sound of Sandwell District builds into a vortex of robust yet refined beats. The next production tag team also need little introduction as Keith Tenniswood (aka Radioactive Man and one half of Two Lone Swordsmen) has been privy to some of the most twisted machine funk to emanate from the UK in the last decade and his production partner Billy Nasty has taken techno to the world via his DJ sets and Tortured label. Together as they premier RadioNasty they make stripped down, dark and brooding electro as shown here on the skulking ‘Radio 3’.
Another techno pairing that has witnessed a club baptism of fire over the last year is that of Mark Broom & James Ruskin whose recent EPs on Blueprint have warped experimental cadences into the structure of bone-rattling techno as sublimely highlighted on ‘Merz’ whilst we wrap the ‘10’ up with Dutch techno/house lynchpin Orlando Voorn whose massive production history includes releases on all of Detroit’s ‘Belleville Three’ labels (Metroplex, KMS and Fragile) and a recent resurgence in studio production on his own Divine & Night Vision imprints. Orlando closes the show with the rather aptly titled ‘Wiggle’, which delivers all the driving funk and soul of classic Detroit techno, and then some. EPM salutes you all.
EPM host Room 2 @ Fabric on Saturday 26 February and Panorama Bar @ Berghain on Saturday 16 April. More details and further label launch parties to be revealed soon…
Tracklist:
1. Alexander Robotnick – Running About
2. Detroit Grand Pubahs – Civil War 2013
3. Floorplan – Move It
4. Analog Fingerprints – Sick Bam Stab
5. Marius – Jet Set (Original Version)
6. Dirt Crew – The Sound
7. Sandwell District – Live in Berlin
8. RadioNasty – Radio 3
9. Mark Broom & James Ruskin – Merz
10. Orlando Voorn - Wiggle
All tracks are unreleased and exclusive to this compilation.