B-b-big news in Kompakt land this week (cue a chorus of trumpets, bugles and alpenhorns atop a stripped-back 4/4 microhouse beat). The seminal Cologne-based record label has announced that it will release its traditional annual compilation, Total 14, in mid-August. The unmixed double-CD collection features contributions from most of the Kompakt ‘big guns’, including brand spanking new tracks from label co-founders Michael Mayer and Jurgen Paape alongside cuts from Saschienne, Superpitcher, GusGus, The Field, Justus Kohncke, Gui Boratto and The Modernist. Perusing the track list, a couple of tracks stand out as highlights from recent(ish) times: the stonking Emperor Machine rework of Partial Arts’ overdue comeback track and DJ Tennis and Pillowtalk’s Cinematic Orchestra sampling ‘The Outcast’.
Amsterdam pianist, drummer, DJ and producer Jacob Otten, who crafts beats as Kid Sublime, headlines a BYO warehouse party at an inner west location on Saturday July 26. A man who has headlined Mad Racket on a previous visit to Sydney, Otten is renowned for creating “soulful house music with a b-boy attitude”. His first album as Kid Sublime, Basement Soul, featured guest vocals by the likes of Melodee, Lilian Vieira, Nicky Guiland, Alma Horton and Jneiro Jarel, among others, and was followed by contrasting releases such Rappin’ Blak on Dopeness Galore and his collection of ballads, The Alicia Beattape. Kid Sublime has been relatively quiet on the production front ever since these releases, so it will be interesting to hear if he unleashes any new productions upon Sydney dancers.
Fabric continues to attract the finest names in techno for their mix series. Berlin producer and Berghain resident Marcel Dettmann will helm the 77th edition of the Fabric canon. Dettmann has been resident DJ at Berlin’s revered Berghain club since before it was Berghain – we’re talking waaaay back in its Ostgut days. His vaunted reputation is founded on his DJing prowess, his remixes for the likes ofFever Ray,Junior Boys, Modeselektorand Scuba and his productions for his self-conductedMDRlabel. Dettmann himself is no stranger to the mix CD, having curated one of the earlier editions of the Berghain series from Ostgut Ton back in ’08 and the Conducted mix for Belgian imprint Music Man. Fabric 77 features a hefty portion of unreleased cuts from Dettmann’s own MDR label from the likes of German lawyer-cum-Berghain resident Norman Nodge, Marcelus and Dario Zenker. “It is finally a good opportunity to release those tracks and they will all come out on MDR,” Dettmann divulged. The press release is descriptive, promising Fabric 77 will surprise listeners with “its vibrancy, delicacy and range” that ventures outside of what you’d expect to hear from Dettmann in a nightclub circa 8am. Fabric 77 drops in late August.
The Washington duo of Benoit & Sergio, who are now based in Berlin, have just released a new EP entitled Your Darkness.Benoit & Sergio first made their mark with their singles ‘Midnight People’ on Spectral Sound and ‘What I’ve Lost’, which was reworked into a brooding minimal epic by Seattle’s Bruno Pronsato back in 2010. Their biggest hit remains ‘Walk & Talk’, while they have also appeared on the DFA label with their catchy cut ‘Principles’ (which actually sampled the vocals from ‘Walk & Talk’ backwards). Benoit & Sergio are currently focusing on completing their long-anticipated debut album, which will be co-produced together with Nicolas Jaar and Dave Harrington, collectively Darkside – one of the most vaunted acts of recent years. In the interim, you’ll have to settle for Benoit & Sergio’s latest offering, a collection of three playful dancefloor-focused cuts that has been released on the Visonquest label.
LOOKING DEEPER
Saturday July 19
Saturday July 26
Warehouse Venue TBA
Saturday August 2
Saturday August 23
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