RW050

Recycling Wax is going for summer break.

Robin Tasi
June 25, 2026

Hey there,

Today we're celebrating the 50th edition. By now, we are a community of more than 1,000 people who have signed up. On average, more than half of you read the newsletter attentively, and the other statistics are extremely good as well. I would have never thought that the demand and interest would be so great and, above all, remain so stable. But we're all the happier that we can keep inspiring you again and again.

For some, it's bathroom reading at 6 PM on Thursdays. For others, it's a serious newsletter to help them order their next records. It's so nice to see what this newsletter has become.

However, I need a break and have to focus on my job search right now. The 50th edition suited me perfectly for that. Nevertheless, the Recycling Wax Newsletter is really going all out in this episode, with several guests, and that's why today we have an extended version:

Recent Cuts - Fresh vinyl and digital releases worth checking out.
Essential Oldschool - Records from the 90s and early 2000s that still matter today.
Behind the Booth by Valerio - Personal stories, lessons, and perspectives.
Top 5 by Melissa - A handpicked selection, carefully curated each week.
Community Pick of the Week by Valentin - One favorite from the community.

1. Recent Cuts - Fresh vinyl and digital releases worth checking out.

#1 Fireground - Core Waves: Let's begin the 50th edition with a duo that has been causing quite a stir since 2021. At least that's when the first productions by Angela and Daniele from Naples, Italy, who are now living in Berlin, were released digitally on Tresor Records. However, I only discovered them in 2022 through their Dreams EP, also on Tresor. I have to say that Fireground are the perfect embodiment of techno music, but with a slightly more relaxed approach. It doesn't move into a tribal direction, but I simply find it refreshing to hear repetitive techno that doesn't sound overly serious, strict, cold, melancholic, hard, or bleepy. Fireground are also extremely good at integrating loose percussion into their productions without immediately drifting into the tribal lane. From the moment I heard Dreams, I became a huge fan. Absolutely brilliant, clean productions with that little touch of percussion spirit and happiness. It's even nicer to see in 2026 that Angela and Daniele have stayed true to their vision, their sound, and their direction. It's simply a refreshing EP for temperatures like these. Don't you think? The A1 alone, Drift, already gives me those "let's go to the lake" vibes. And by the time the whistle comes in on A2, everything has already been said, right? A beautiful disco-influenced B1 as well. Ah, I could write down my impressions of every track now, but I'll stop; it's already too much text. Let's summarise it briefly: The new Fireground - Core Waves EP on Ilian Tape = top notch! 5 stars, gladly again! MUST-HAVE!

#2 Lewis Fautzi - Ghosts Don't Text Me: Speaking of staying true to your vision and your direction. If there is one person who has been producing at the highest level for over a decade while never losing his identity, never jumping on new trends, and never changing 180 degrees, then it's Lewis Fautzi. Born in Portugal and, according to AI, currently living in Porto, he was already a guarantee for quality productions in the mid-2010s. For example, I remember Big Bang. Damn, I played that track until I was sick of it. But this new EP instantly transported me back to exactly that era of the 2010s. Bleepy, atmospheric, spacious, with those typical clap patterns. Very, very beautiful. Timeless techno, beautiful 909 patterns, and a fellow artist at the agency where I’m also represented by, Zenith! Simply a damn good producer and therefore a huge recommendation for everyone who loves bleepy sci-fi sound.

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#3 HMC - Acid Trac EP: Honestly, people, double lasts longer. I already mentioned this EP one or two newsletters ago in the "On the Horizon" section while it was still available for pre-order. But come on, this record is so legendary that it deserves another mention. That's right, the record is finally out now, and it's an absolute milestone in techno history. Straight out of Australia, straight from DJ HMC's glowing 303. This man has unbelievably shaped the scene. These three tracks were never available together before, but Reflector made it happen, and maybe they'll even bring down the Discogs prices of some of those overpriced reseller copies. The three tracks originally came out in the mid-1990s on Dirty House Records, and to this day, they remain some of the best acid techno tracks ever produced. BIG TIP!

#4 Deetron - Flow: One track, three versions on one record. Listen, Marco, with Deetron, you've brought a true legend to Mutual Rytm! Congratulations! Flow is a rather untypical Deetron track in terms of its synth progression, especially if you look at his productions from the early 2000s. But that doesn't have to be a bad thing. To be honest, I really like the relaxed approach, but also that amazing Hoover synth in the original version. On the B1, we get a very typical Deetron sound. Marco certainly didn't miss the opportunity to include both the new and the old side of Deetron on this record. Beautiful chords, beautiful minimalism, a slight tribal early-2000s character, tambourines shaking me straight into happiness. And with the B2, he simply throws in the unexpected. Back then, I actually received the test pressing when Marco and I met in Leipzig at a gig together with Kathi. He also shared a few hints about what else is coming in the future. But our mouths are sealed! Once again, a fantastic record. Just keep it up!

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#5 RDS - NESREH002: A question I've been asking myself for a long time is whether the development of music genres still changes in the same way it did back in the day. Tribal and groovy techno are on everyone's lips and are currently the big thing. Hard techno is thankfully slowing down. The trashy character of today's trance, which has absolutely nothing to do with the beautiful trance of the 90s and early 2000s, is also losing momentum. The jump from 2006 to 2007 was enormous: tribal techno to minimal. When someone asks me what kind of music I dig, my answer is usually: up until 2006, yes. After 2007, not really. There are only a handful of records from that era onward till early 2010s that I genuinely like. Minimal, therefore, isn't really my friend. But RDS absolutely knows what he's doing. Minimal that I enjoy tremendously, and that sounds completely different from the generic stuff I used to skip through back then. A beautiful, effective, deep record. Ricardo Villalobos is definitely going to play this. I'm convinced there's no way around it.

#6 Jovonn - Traxx 4 Daze: Ah, yes. Even though I am a huge advocate of Chicago House, we shouldn't forget how unbelievably good House music from New York is. And if you're looking for authentic sound made by a professional who has known exactly what he's doing for more than 35 years and still has the hunger to bring amazing music to the vinyl market, then we're obviously talking about Allen Jovonn Armstrong. Man, how can someone produce such insanely good music? An absolute MUST-HAVE for every House fan!

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2. Essential Oldschool - Records from the 90s and early 2000s that still matter today.

#1 Monobox - Downtown: Oh yeah! Robert fckn Hood in da house, people. Different alias, same quality. And the quality is unbelievably high. I have no idea how Robert manages it. To this day, M-Plant stands for Detroit Techno. No matter where it comes from, as long as the quality is right: minimalistic, soulful, and touching you on a completely different level. And that's exactly what we experience with this record. Beautiful synth, a few drums, a fat kick, and a great bassline. That's all you need. Other artists like Mike Parker from Buffalo prove that as well. An absolute masterpiece. I got this record for €4, or rather Kathi brought it back for me from Hamburg. BIG TIP!

#2 Mike Dearborn V. The Advent - Battle: I don't even know exactly what I should write about this record. I was at Kai-Uwe's place because he wanted to sell records that he either owned twice or no longer plays because they're too fast for him nowadays. And that's where I found this record. Majesty Recordings is one of my absolute favourite labels. And I immediately realised: "Yep, you've wanted this one for a long time." Got lucky! Somehow, Mike Dearborn's style changed toward the end of the 90s and in the early 2000s. But honestly, I like everything in his discography. What really got me on this record, though, was the Advent remix. A masterpiece and fortunately not very expensive either!

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#3 Mario J - Gateway: I hope I don't make a complete fool of myself by calling Mario J and his Canadian label Method 11:11 a genuine hidden gem. For me, the label didn't only become known through Murat. And today I'm showing you a double vinyl release that really packs a punch. Discogs categorises it partly as "Hard House", but I can't hear that anywhere. At times, it's a little experimental, but what really hooked me is the sound of this record and the entire label. Everything sounds distorted. And I loooove that. C1 and D2 have completely won me over. Simply a fantastic record and an important part of every techno collection!

#4 Jeff Mills - Confidentials 1-4: I refuse to repeat myself. Jeff Mills is "The Wizard", and for good reason. A1 is my favourite, but the entire record is a masterpiece. No text on the sleeve, but maximum impact. This record won't be leaving my bag anytime soon. Thank you, Kai-Uwe, for passing this one on to me! It will live a long and honoured life.

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#5 Soulmate - Mechanical Roots EP: Well, we've already had him once today. Haven't we? We certainly have, because Soulmate is Deetron's alias, who recently released on Mutual Rytm. What is there to say about this release? Back then, Deetron released on Jericho, a label known for deep basslines and amazing tribal tracks. The same applies here: a beautiful, deep, melodic bassline followed by a small vocal snippet and lovely synthesisers. At least that's how the A-side sounds. On the B-side, the synth is a little deeper, but still groovy as hell. €25 is a bit too much right now. I paid €5 for my copy just one or two weeks ago! Be patient, but be sure to get this gem!

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3. Behind the Booth by Valerio - Personal stories, lessons, and perspectives.

Let's start with our first guest today. It's none other than Valerio, founder of Zenith Booking Agency. Back then, Kathi and I applied to Zenith. To be honest, there was no alternative for us because Valerio represents exactly the kind of philosophy that appealed to us one hundred per cent. He liked our application, spoke with us together with our booker Melissa, and later even told us, “Actually, we were already full.” We got lucky.

Funny enough, we're roughly the same age, and we're constantly discovering that although we had never actively crossed paths before, we actually have quite a lot of mutual acquaintances and were involved in the scene in very similar ways. What a small world.

Valerio isn't just a booker, though. He's also a promoter, and somehow everything he does just makes sense. We're happy to be part of your story, and we're looking forward to everything that's still to come.

The following text is by Valerio:

- What Remains -

When I first started working in music, I thought this job was about discovering artists.

Years later, I think it’s mostly about learning how to live with time.

Every week, someone asks who the next big thing will be. Which artist is rising? Which sound is taking over? Which trend is about to define the next season?

After enough years, you stop caring so much about those questions.

You begin to notice different things.

You notice the artist who keeps showing up year after year, even when nobody is paying attention.

You notice the promoter who is still doing events for the right reasons after a decade.

You notice the friendships that somehow survive failed projects, changing cities and different lives.

Working in music changes the way you see success.

I’ve seen artists explode overnight and disappear just as quickly. I’ve also seen others spend fifteen years building something slowly, without ever becoming the trend of the moment, yet somehow remaining relevant through it all.

The older I get, the more I admire the second path.

In a culture obsessed with what’s next, longevity feels almost rebellious.

Working in music also teaches you something else.

Nothing stays.

Clubs close.

Scenes change.

People move away.

Working in music taught me that almost everything is temporary.

Strangely, it also taught me that this isn’t necessarily a sad thing.

Some of my favourite memories exist only because they ended.

A closing track at sunrise.

A dancefloor that no longer exists.

A conversation outside a club with someone I never saw again.

A record that reminds me of a version of myself that disappeared a long time ago.

Sometimes I think we spend so much time trying to hold on to things that we forget that part of their beauty comes from the fact they were never meant to stay.

Maybe that’s why I still love this world.

Not because music stops time.

But because, every now and then, it makes you forget it exists.

For a few minutes, a few hours, or a single record, nothing else matters.

The record ends.

The lights come on.

People leave.

Life moves forward.

The memory remains.

And sometimes, that’s enough.

4. Top 5 by Melissa - A handpicked selection, carefully curated each week.

A debut category sneaks in today, one that somehow remained absent from the newsletter until now. A genre that nowadays is viewed very differently and is often accompanied almost exclusively by ideas and vocals from 2000s pop culture. Whether that's good or bad is entirely a matter of taste.

For me personally, Trance is melancholic, emotional, dreamy, and pure goosebumps. Unfortunately, I don't get that feeling from today's version of "Trance". I get it when I listen to records from the 90s and early 2000s. And this is where Melissa comes in.

Melissa works as a booker at Zenith and, alongside Valerio, was our very first point of contact there. She told me that she had actually been following Recycling Wax even before our application, and that made me incredibly happy.

Melissa is Irish, loves Guinness, is deeply into hypnotic and deep techno, accompanies her artists to parties, which was completely new to me, and loves dancing and listening to good, high-quality music. Melissa is full of dedication, but for all kinds of sounds. And this is where it gets interesting: today, Melissa has put together a TOP 5 dedicated entirely to Trance. Which brings us back to my little rant about old and modern Trance productions.

Let's take a look at why she loves these particular tracks so much:

#1 Chicane Featuring Maire Brennan - Saltwater: A 30th birthday present. Marie Brennan sings in Irish, an indigenous language with a declining number of native and daily speakers. This was the first electronic music track I ever heard performed as Gaeilge, a language I can speak myself.

#2 Nikolai - Ready To Flow ‘97: A favourite that was played at illegal raves as a mood saver in Galway after the Gardaí had left and the rave could continue.

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#3 Storm - Storm: Memories of my mum playing this in the kitchen in the early 00’s after coming home from Ibiza.

#4 Olive - You’re Not Alone: A long-time friend Ciarán from Uaimh na gCat record label bought this record and was ecstatic to show me the tintin out remix. It’s a long one, but the ending is so rewarding. He just knows me too well!

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#5 Ayla - Ayla: My first ever vinyl record. Enough said.

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5. Community Pick of the Week by Valentin - One favorite from the community.

LTJ Bukem - Journey Inwards: Let's move on to our final guest today. I don't even know how many times I've already mentioned Black Plastic Record Store in Dortmund, where I used to host in-store sessions and where I'm also involved in the electronic music department, especially House and Techno.

It's a shop packed with every genre imaginable: Hip-Hop, Rap, Rock, Metal, Jazz, Blues, and whatever else you can think of. They've been in business since 2012 and have had a second location in Bremen since 2019. And after moving to the other side of Rheinische Straße, they've got an absolutely beautiful store in Dortmund. There's even a café connected to it now called Mono. Despite mentioning them countless times, I've never actually invited either of the two people behind it to contribute.

Valentin Gube, one of the founders of the store mentioned above, is a passionate Drum & Bass fan and also DJs under the name Valentix. Does he have good records? Of course he does. Why? Well, that's what happens when you're a record dealer, right? And today, completely spontaneously and during working hours, I asked him whether he'd like to present something to us and tell us a bit about it. As the boss, there's no such thing as time theft at work. Lucky you, Valentin.

From here on, I'll stop writing:

Now, about LTJ Bukem. For me personally, LTJ Bukem was my gateway into Drum & Bass because he made what was later called intelligent Drum & Bass, although "intelligent" should always be put in quotation marks, or Liquid Drum & Bass. He became famous through his Logical Progression compilations. It's simply a completely different kind of Drum & Bass sound compared to early Jungle. And in fact, it was with this yellow copy of Journey Inwards that I discovered Drum & Bass. I still love it to this day. It's basically an Ambient Drum & Bass album that you can theoretically dance to, but you can also just relax and listen to. And that's exactly what I find so charming about Drum & Bass.

Even though it's running at 140 to 160 BPM, these atmospheric sounds and double-time rhythms allow you to mentally halve the tempo and experience it as something very calm. So Drum & Bass always seems to have different layers and therefore different ways of being experienced. And for me, the absolute master of atmospheric and liquid sounds is LTJ Bukem.

I've seen him live three times already. LTJ Bukem stands out because he wears these glasses that almost look like blinders, shutting out everything happening to his left and right. He has deeply fitted in-ear headphones and DJs completely in the zone, laser-focused, yet somehow still incredibly energetic and in a way that makes it impossible for anyone on the dancefloor to stand still.

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That's it. The 50th edition of the Recycling Wax Newsletter. I sincerely want to thank you for taking the time week after week to read the newsletter, leave comments, and even write emails. It genuinely means a lot to me. Nevertheless, it's time for us to say goodbye.

Not forever.

I wish you a wonderful, newsletter-free summer. Enjoy the season. And if you happen to miss me, just send me an email with ideas and suggestions. The 51st edition will need to be filled somehow, and honestly, thanks to all of you, that was never a difficult task.

I'm looking forward to having some time away from writing, even though it's going to feel very strange coming home from work on Mondays and not having the newsletter on my agenda.

At least, as I said, for now.

See you soon! :-)
Robin Tasi @ Recycling Wax

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