It's time for a new release from our favourite London based label, Perc Trax, by one of our previous Slash Dot Dash guests, Truss. It's first appearance on the label from the Welsh born, London based producer since his 2010 'Osbasten' EP. Inbetween he's had great success, most notably, with his EP on Sigha's Our Circula Sound label as well as remixes for Perc (with Sigha) and the debut release for our friends over at EarToGround. 'Ganymede' displays just how far Truss has come since his last Perc Trax EP. Using his extensive knowledge of the history of techno to combine that with modern methods and idealism's to create something fresh and original. The title track is a minimalist bass heavy thumper which encompasses Truss signature acid stylings. His second offering 'Hackney' is an uncompromising throw back to the illegal East London raves. Stripped down to it's bare bones, it's acid rhythms provide an accurate representation of the state of UK techno. Remixes come from label boss, Perc, and rising techno star, with labels like Horizontal Ground and Semantica, Skirt. On 'Ganymede' Perc adds layers of organic percussion where as skirt takes us on a more deeper atmospheric trip. Check out the samples below
The vinyl will be in the shops on the 14th September and will be available digitally (with a bonus Perc Dub Mix of 'Ganymede') two weeks later on the 28th September. More info on Perc Trax can be found on their Facebook Fan Page. Or those of you Twitter can follow Perc Trax Here and Truss Here
For those of us in London a four day weekend is something a bit special, a four day week at the start of summer is a whole different ball game. There's some big events coming up, not just in the capital but all around Europe.... and here's the best of them
London
We kick off with a new comer to the London techno scene, Dystopia. The project goes beyond the standard format for a club night and pulls together the artistic talents of DJs, musicians, designers, visuals artists and photographer to form an inclusive creative showcase.
fabric are pulling in the big guns for room 2 on Saturday as the Berghain resident and Klockworks Records head honcho, Ben Klock links up with the man from Minneapolis, Berghain regular and Klockworks artist, DVS1.
When Plex and Perc Trax combine at Corsica Studios the outcome is usually pretty special, but Sunday could be the most special to date. 9 hours of first rate techno featuring some of the best names in Underground music. A live set from Kangding Ray, DJ sets from Lone, Perc, Randomer, Truss, AnD, DJ Skirt and many more make this rammed full of quality from start to finish.
From the English capital to the Scottish capital now and Edinburgh is in for a massive treat on Friday as Adam X presents Traversable Wormhole for Unseen at Studio 24. There's no tickets so just get there and pay on the door. Full event info on Facebook
Dublin
And now on to the ROI captial, Dublin, as Fachwerk Records owner, Mike Dehnert, takes to the decks at The Academy. Again there's no presale tickets but head over to Resident Advisor for all the event info.
Italy
Je Ne T'Aime Plus Afterparty @ Studio 2 Club, Vigonovo (Friday 1st June)
The One Festival takes place this weekend at Cocorico in Riccione. Techno highlights come from the legend that is Jeff Mills, Dasha Rush and Tommy Four Seven. All the info you need can be found on the Facebook Event Page
Hannover
TechnoDrivers mit Luke Slater @ Underground Club (Saturday 2nd June)
Our final stop off is in Hannover at the Underground club as TechnoDrivers welcome the man behind the Mote Evolver label, Luke Slater, headlines alongside a host of local talent. Full event info on Facebook
It's competition time again and we've teamed up with our friends at Perc Trax to give you the chance to get your hands on one of three CD copies of the debut album from Forward Strategy Group entitled 'Labour Division'.
After a couple of EPs on the label, an album was the next logical step. Allowing them to focus less on their traditional industrial techno sounds and expand to encompass semi-broken beats and post punk influences.
To get your hands on one of the three copies, all you need to do is answer this simple question.
What Perc Trax EP did Forward Strategy Group provide a remix for in 2010?
To enter the competition please send your answer to info@slashdotdash.bizwith the subject title 'Forward Strategy Group Competition'. All entries must be received by 5pm on Thursday 24th May and the winners will be drawn at random and contacted by e-mail.
The album will be in the shops on the 28th May. To find out more about Forward Strategy Group, head over to their Facebook Fan Page
Industrial action is somewhat the sign of the times from Perc Trax of late and thankfully we're not talking about them going on strike. Recent releases from Forward Strategy Group and of course Perc's very own debut album, 'Wicker & Steel' have set the standard for things to come.
Perc Trax 048 sees a first release from new boys Dead Sound & Videohead, although it's not their first outing on the label after their recent remixes for Go Hiyama and Samuli Kemppi's 'Arabia EP' that came out on Perc Trax last month. If you was impressed by that then you'll discover similar feelings when listening to this one too.
Hailing from Stoke and fusing influences of experimental music with a wealth of techno knowledge from the UK and Berlin sounds to create something that is different and exciting, when lined up against your run of the mill attempts at industrial techno.
Out on Beatport last Friday and on vinyl very soon, is the new Perc Trax release by our favourite Finlander, Samuli Kemppi. 2 Tracks from the man himself and a remixes by Donor & Truss and Dead Sound & Videohead make for an all round extremely solid release. Which is definitely what we've come to expect from both Samuli Kemppi and Perc Trax.
You may of noticed a bit of a Perc Trax theme throughout the blog in the last few weeks, and with good reason too. It's been a long time coming but Perc's debut album, 'Wicker & Steel', drops on Friday.
Perc gave us a great interview on the making of the album and a few other things besides (check out the interview here) and he's also given us a copy of the album to give away for free. To get your hands on the CD all you need to do is answer this simple question...
What was the title of the first ever release on Perc Trax?
To enter the competition all you need to do is send your answer to info@slashdotdash.biz with the subject 'Perc Competition'. The comp will close at 6pm on Friday 10th June so get your answers in quick. The winner will be announced and notified by e-mail.
For those of you in London on Saturday you can be part of the Official Perc 'Wicker & Steel' Album Launch Party hosted by Techno Therapy. Tickets are still available on Resident Advisor
We recently covered the first remix release by Perc, 'My Head Is Slowly Exploding' from his forthcoming debut album 'Wicker & Steel' on his own label Perc Trax. Here at Slash Dot Dash we loved it so much that we tracked down Ali Wells, aka Perc, for a chat about making the album and what the future holds for himself and the label.
You’ve been all over the world of late. What have you been doing and have there been any particular highlights?
It's just been a mixture of dj sets and live sets in all sorts of places, all across Europe, the USA and Canada and now I have Japan coming up in June. Sometimes it is a Perc Trax event, other times I am playing for CLR or Stroboscopic Artefacts or just booked with a selection of previously unconnected artists. Recent highlights have been the Grounded Theory party in Berlin with Milton Bradley and Adam X, I really felt at home and at ease there. The CLR party at Butan (near Dusseldorf) was great as the system was tweaked to perfection for that big CLR sound. Closer to home my first gig at fabric and my recent gigs at Corsica Studios have both shown me that London still loves it's techno.
You’ve been working on your debut album at the same time. Have you found it difficult to remain focused with all the travelling you’ve been doing?
I think my travelling provided a break from the production of the album and gave me a chance to step back from the production process and take a look at how the album was shaping up. Plus I could road-test a few tracks in clubs, playing 'My Head Is Slowly Exploding' in my live set atBerghain proved to me that I was going in the right direction with the album. I like the balance between the isolation of studio work and the social side of travelling, playing gigs and meeting new people. It did not cross my mind once to take a month off at any point to lock myself away and lose myself in the album. That much time working solidly in the studio would drive me mental.
How has your work process differed in making the album to making an EP?
I had the title and a rough idea for the vibe of the album early on and then I just tried to make tracks that locked into my vision of the album. I worked in pretty much the same way as I would work on an EP, with the difference being that I was trying to make tracks that fitted to a common theme. When I am making tracks normally I work on a few different sounds at once as the tracks may well end up as part of different releases on different labels. I guess the album format gave me more space to experiment and it was good to work on whatever I wanted to without thinking which label may take it or how it would fit on a regular 3 or 4 track EP.
You’ve been releasing music for 9 years now in the forms of EP and remixes. What made you decide that this was the time to make an album?
I don't know really. I've had the album idea in my head for about 2 years now but I was waiting for the right track or moment in time to kick things off. 'My Head Is Slowly Exploding' was the first track that I knew had to go on the album and that really marked the start of the creation of the album. There were a few other releases last year that made me more confident of being able to produce a cohesive album. Firstly the Vertigo I and II EPs on Perc Trax saw me branching out to make tracks which worked on the dancefloor but were not straight up dj/club tools. Secondly my Monad V release on Stroboscopic Artefacts managed to mix together 4 different sounds whilst maintaining a cohesive theme (I hope!) and the reaction to that and Lucy's faith in me gave me more confidence for 'Wicker & Steel'.
With the Sawf album earlier this year, yours about to drop and a forthcoming album from Forward Strategy Group, is this a deliberate change of direction for the label or did it just happen organically?
Not really. It was about time for Perc Trax to do albums and it just felt right to start this now. The label compilation CD and the mix CD are both dying formats and I've always like the artist album as milestone in a producer's career. Ben Gibson's album was actually the first on Perc Trax and each album project has been a continual learning process. With each album I have learnt more about the promotional campaign that goes with an album and I am sure I still have a lot to learn. Ben's was Perc Trax's first album, Sawf's was the label's first CD release, mine has had the greatest promotional push and the label's first commissioned videos. I'm not sure what new ground I'll break for the Forward Strategy Group album but we are already working on a few ideas to make the album special.
What’s been the most important thing to you that’s helped you get through this process?
I think it has just been the way the support for Perc Trax has grown in the last few years. I'd much rather hear someone say how much they love Perc Trax than how much they like my latest track or remix. The way that the label has seemed to become more focussed whilst actually expanding its sound to take in techno, industrial, dubstep and broken beat influences has really pushed me forward and given me more confidence. People seem to 'get' Perc Trax more than ever before and knowing people have a faith and an interest in the label helped immensely with my album and has also made me bolder in terms of the projects that I am planning for the rest of 2011.
And finally what does the next 6 months hold for Perc and Perc Trax?
Lots, maybe too much. After my album there is a Samuli Kemppi EP with a remix from Donor/Truss, then there is the first full EP from the label's new UK signing Dead Sound & Videohead After that expect the 2nd remix EP's from Sawf's album and 'Wicker & Steel'. All the remixers on these album remix EPs are new to Perc Trax which helps keep the label fresh without detracting from the label's core group of artists. Also coming at some point are new EP's from Donor/Truss, the Forward Strategy Group album and one new artist to Perc Trax, who is already quite established and might surprise a few people.In terms of label events there is the London launch party for my album on 11th June and a Tokyo launch party on 24th June, plus some American dates to be announced soon.
The London Launch party will be held in a secret East London location. Tickets and info are available on the Resident Advisor Event Page. More info on Perc and Perc Trax can be found on the Facebook Fan Page
Perc has been a bit quiet of late on the production front, but there's been a very good reason for that. Recent releases on his Perc Trax label have featured stunning techno from Sawf, Forward Strategy Group and Justin Berkovi have kept more than highly entertained whilst Perc has been locking himself away to work on his debut album 'Wicker And Steel'.
Perc Trax 045 sees the first remix pack from the album. Featuring re edits from Ancient Methods and Chris Carter as well as Perc's Original. Ancient Method's thumping, aggressive, two step approach is balanced out perfectly with the floating head trip from Throbbing Gristle's, Chris Carter. The Original features an array of vicious stabs layered over a subtle, yet solid, 4/4 beat and maintains that dark techno feel we know and love him for.
This remix pack has really got us excited as to what the album will like. The EP will be in the shops next Friday 20th May and the album will be available from the 10th June.
The launch party for the album takes place somewhere in East London on that very same day and will feature performances from Perc, Truss, Forward Strategy Group, our very own resident Chris Stanford and a few more as well. More info and tickets for the party, hosted by Techno Therapy, can be found on the Resident Advisor Event Page
Easter is generally a very busy time of year for clubbing, but combine that with a Royal Wedding and a bit of Mayday action, and you've got yourself a hell of a extended weekend! As everyone is picking up the pieces of the 4 days just gone, it's time to look well and truly forward to what's about to come.
Our top pick of the weekends events is another techno riot in fabric's Room 2. Whether or not it was intentional or not, but Room 2 is becoming a bit of a mecca for the worlds best techno. Appearances from Sandwell District, Ben Klock, DVS1, Scuba, Len Faki, Skudge have only gone on to strengthen that belief. This Saturday sees this dedication to techno continue. Kicking off proceedings is one of the UK techno's brightest young stars, Sigha. Followed by the Hardwax / Berghain invasion with Shed (Live) and Marcel Dettmann.
Our 2nd pick sees a return to Corsica Studios for one of our favourite labels, Perc Trax, teaming up with our good friends from Colony. A mixture of techno and dubstep can be found across the two rooms and a selection of some of todays finest DJs and live acts.
Last but not least, we have a bit of a monster from arguably the biggest techno label in the world right now, CLR. Chris Liebing and his team have put together a veritable who's who of techno legends for this one. MOS has plenty of history and it has plenty of soundsystem power for the guys to push to it's full maximum.
If you thought that was enough events for 1 weekend, normally you'd probably be right. But this is a monster 4 day weekend remember, so there's plenty of other stuff going on throughout the break, here's the best of the rest
The 2nd single from Sawf's debut album 'Flaws', on Perc Trax is upon us. The first being 'Slim' featured remixes from DVS1. 'Unrhythm' features another techno heavyweight in Ostgut Ton's Marcel Fengler with his remix of 'Unrhythm' on the A side with Perc Trax favourite Go Hiyama remixing 'Sfika' on the B
We're big fans of Sawf here at Slash Dot Dash. XI featured the Marcel Fengler remix on his latest Slash Dot Dash Podcast. We expect big things to come from the man from Greece.
The EP is available now in Hardwax and we expect it to hit all the rest very shortly.
More info on Sawf can be found through his Myspace Page
This Friday our good friends over at Colony have got together with our good friends over at Perc Trax to put on a night at one of our favourite London venues, Corsica Studios. Colony have been on a little break (since July) but have really come back with a bang.
Perc Trax has been ever strengthening its reputation for solid techno release after release for a while now and they feel it's time to enter back into the world of promoting. Headlining the event is one of our favourite DJs / Producers around at the moment, Peter Van Hoesen. And that stamp of quality filters it's way right through the line up.
Advanced tickets are still available on Resident Advisor or you can pay a bit more on the door
You can join Colony's Facebook Group or follow Perc Trax on Twitter to keep up to date with all their future news
Here is the first free giveaway from Perc Trax. More will be coming soon including dj mixes, exclusive tracks and unreleased remixes and edits.
This is the mixed version of Ben Gibson's debut album that was released last year on Perc Trax. Support for the release came from Chris Liebing, Laurent Garnier, Avus, Par Grindvik, Joseph Capriati, October, Drumcell, Xhin and many more.
Here's the first samples of the new Perc Trax release by Forward Strategy Group with a remix from Donor & Truss.
3 quality no nonsense techno tracks as we've come to expect from PT. Code #01 features relentless highs with a thumping kick underneath. Code #02 is more dubby than #o1 and the Donor & Truss remix is slightly lighter with a haunting stab circling it's way throughout the track.
But don't take my word for it, check out the samples here
