RW014

#1 Invexis - Morphium EP: Georg Köhler aka Invexis is simply incredible fun! I’ve been a huge fan of his productions since the early 2000s. The bad news: unfortunately, his records are always insanely expensive. I really wish that weren’t the case. But here’s the good news: Invexis is still producing today. Sixteen years after his last vinyl, he celebrated his comeback in 2022, on none other than Mutual Rytm. And today I’m showing you his latest work. Even after 23 years in music, he has stayed true to himself: top-notch production, sharp stabs, brilliant groove. You can just feel where Invexis’ roots are. Four killer tracks, perfect for any playtime. Big tip!

#2 WK7 / Head High - Do It Yourself / Rave: Next up, let’s jump straight into a reissue. Power House is exactly the label that shaped me back in the early 2010s. Even then, it felt kind of atypical within the huge house scene, but back then, tech house was booming. Most of it sounded super polished in production, almost big-room like. But WK7 / Head High, both aliases of René Pawlowitz and only ever released on Power House, hit completely different, sounding beautifully raw! I think I mentioned in a recent newsletter that I had only been playing “Do It Yourself”. Recently, though, I was playing in Münster and decided to drop the other side. It was insanely good, even with a little needle skip (probably because of the record, oh noooo). All the better that this gem is available again as a reissue!

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#3 Sciahri & Hertz Collusion - Contatto: Earlier this year, I switched to Zenith Agency, which has been such a huge enrichment for me; I finally feel truly at home with my sound. Sciahri and Hertz Collusion are also on the roster, and I’ve been following Sciahri’s label Sublunar from the very beginning. I’ve always found the tracks to be extremely solid, and that’s still true today. Uncompromising, contemporary, yet at the same time timeless techno. I absolutely love it. Highly recommended!

#4 Cassy - No Title: And to finish things off, here’s an absolutely stunning house record. For me, the house just needs to sound dirty but with a killer atmosphere. And that’s exactly what this one does. A typical high string tone floating steadily on top, paired with a grimy, powerful kick drum. Maximum vibes! The vocals are also spot on. And finally: the acid line. No gimmicks, no endless pattern, just short, direct, and to the point. I love it. On the B-side, there’s a slightly cheesy love declaration, not really my cup of tea, but in the right moment, it could totally hit on the dancefloor. MUST-HAVE!

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#1 Question - 1st Question: Let’s kick off the oldschool vinyls with a banger of a label: Question? Answer! Founded by none other than Italian producer and DJ Marco Carola. What a legend. Just recently, I saw a video of him being escorted to a gig in Ibiza by several security guards. At the same time, he was giving kisses on the cheek to people he knew along the way. Honestly, it felt pretty surreal, how a DJ whose music feels so close to the people can at the same time seem so distant, needing security around him. Nevertheless, at 50 years old, Marco is still an absolute powerhouse when it comes to top-tier techno from the late ’90s and early 2000s. And “Question” is just a killer label. MUST HAVE!

#2 su:real - 1:9: Speaking of “surreal”: the label su:real, also Headroom’s alias, was the hot commodity in early-2000s Swedish techno. What a label, what absolutely brilliant records. I’d love to own the entire (short) discography! This time I’m bringing you the 1:9 release. I originally bought this one mainly for the B-side, which, for me, is an essential tool for a perfect closing set, right in that phase when you’re slowly winding down and bringing things back to calm. But I can easily imagine it also smashing during peak time. Haven’t tried that yet. BIG TIP!

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#3 Gecko - Secret Pleasure: Next up: Wolf Jörg Henze, the man behind the Gecko project, mainly known for one standout tune: Just Close Your Eyes. What an absolute bomb of a track. Last week, I was digging around on Discogs and found myself browsing through the label Jericho. Usually, it’s a pretty dreamy label, sometimes a bit too soft for my taste. But not with release 033. Still, I find this record quite atypical for Gecko’s style. Secret Pleasure comes in with a nasty Reese bassline and instantly blew me away! It reminds me a lot of Samuel L Session. I’ll definitely be dropping this one in the club soon!

#4 Sound Enforcer - Law, Order And Sound Enforcement E.P.: And to wrap things up, here’s a true gem. Not only because it’s on Primate Recordings (a label where you can basically buy any release blind, as Marco just wrote me today after a Primate story I’ve made), but also thanks to Dave Angel aka Sound Enforcer. I just love his style. It’s techno, but it always carries a certain playfulness, not dark, but driving and super groovy. Impact has an amazing groove, and the bassline is deliciously funky. Perfect for warming up a killer party! Thank you, Dave, for all the treasures you’ve given us!

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Mike Parker - Drain Hum: Alright, folks, I finally let go. What do I mean by that? Well, I usually try to only buy records that aren’t available digitally. At some point, I just couldn’t justify spending money on something I could just as easily buy online for €1.50 per track. I’m a DJ who plays both vinyl and CDJs, but there are still some records I just have to own because I find them unbelievably good.

And today I want to show you one of those records, a record that has been sitting on my wantlist for more than 10 years. Sometimes I’d even take it off the list because I just couldn’t justify the price. But what can I say: thanks to Recycling Wax, I’ve been buying more and more records lately. Records, I also want to share with you. And that includes the ones I already own digitally.

For me, Mike Parker is one of the greatest producers in the history of techno. Even though at first listen his tracks can sound very similar, I don’t think any other producer has managed to stick to a single line so consistently for over 20 years, staying true to his sound without ever being boring. Quite the opposite: with Mike Parker’s music, there’s always something new to discover.

In my opinion, Drain Hum isn’t just his most beautiful record in terms of design, with its bright orange, it’s actually the best Mike Parker record ever released. Sure, opinions will definitely differ here because he has plenty of other absolutely brilliant records. But I’ve always been more fascinated by his older works. They feel more “playful” to me, with more variation in the drums. A clap or hi-hat like on Shakuhachi Two is something you’d rarely hear in Mike’s mid-2010s productions. That’s not to say the newer stuff is bad; every Mike Parker release is a masterpiece in its own right. But there’s something about the old productions from the ’90s that captivates me more. Let’s just call it that “playful” quality.

Drain Hum is the perfect example of how you can build an eternal track out of just a few elements. The descending bassline feels incredibly hypnotic and brutal at the same time, carried along by the synth. The way the elements are woven together is just genius. The subtle reverb and distortion on the kick create a dark atmosphere, yet it’s all lightened up by that tiny bleep tone quietly pulsing in the background.

The Percussion Mix is pure chaos in comparison. Here, the brutal bassline serves as the foundation, but the speed and intensity come from the hectic interplay of kicks, bass, and fast synth stabs. Closed hats circle and trap the chaotic energy of the track. The drums take a backseat here, not very dominant. What fascinates me most, especially with the open hi-hat but also the drums overall, is the way distortion blends with reverb so it never becomes too sharp or overwhelming.

What can I say? Mike Parker is simply one of the best techno producers out there. I really hope I get the chance to see him play in a club one day. That would be a huge dream come true!

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