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Berlin-based DJ and producer Adam X has released a double vinyl LP titled Rüdersdorf Acid Tracks. Named after an abandoned chemical factory outside of Berlin, the nine-track collection arrived on February 4th through his techno and industrial label, Sonic Groove.

“Deep within the forests of Rüdersdorf, Germany, 1.5 miles outside Berlin, exists a forgotten realm, a dark and dystopian place,” reads an album description. Its first track, “88 Tram,” backs up this ominous prose with a moody, brisk walk through the void thanks to a gritty bass line and ethereal beats. The entire LP takes on a life of its own as each track pulses, vibrates, and confidently spreads an air of mystery and trepidation. Crisp 303 synthesizer sounds collide and coalesce with each other in the aptly titled “Meteors Galore,” a breakneck acid techno sound seemingly tailor made to fill every square inch of Rüdersdorf itself.

About Adam X

Starting around 1990 in the underground dance music scene of Brooklyn, New York, Adam X has remained one of techno’s most prolific artists. He and his brother, influential techno producer Frankie Bones, founded Groove Records, which later rebranded to Sonic Groove. The label offered one of America’s first real outlets underground techno. The two are often credited credited with kickstarting the underground rave scene Stateside, including NYC’s Storm Rave party series.

Purchase or download Rüdersdorf Acid Tracks in digital and double 12-inch vinyl format via Sonic Groove Bandcamp.

Selector’s Sounds series follows a procedure that puts music quality before status or industry relationships. Learn how it works.

In late 2020, Bulgarian producer, DJ, and singer Gabriella Vergilov‘s “The Love Anthem” was released as part of Northern Parallels‘ Gradual Landscapes compilation to much acclaim. Now, four remixes for the track have been released, each one bringing with it a unique and exciting take on the original. In addition to Lindsey Herbert, Ray Kajioka, and Mike Derer, Vergilov has also put forth her own alternate version of “The Love Anthem” as part of the remix package.

Herbert, who hails from San Francisco, kicks things off with a driving, hypnotic techno spin that employs Vergilov’s vocal samples as a rhythmic element. She repeats them in sync with the rolling bass line and percussive elements to create a perfect peak time atmosphere. Kajioka’s remix highlights syncopation in the drums with a sizzling off-time snare and ride cymbal that change the groove of the track, as it builds toward an airy, pad-laden breakdown that mirrors the melodic elements of the original.

Subdued drums give way to a distorted synth lead in Derer’s minimalistic rework, giving the track room to underscore the vocal samples in a dreamlike fashion. Vergilov herself rounds the release out with her “Acid Bang Remix,” which lives up to its name with a playful arpeggiated synth that evolves throughout the song as a dirty kick drum punches through. The remix is entirely different from its ethereal original, trading in a soothing atmosphere for a more upfront and aggressive approach.

With the help of three skilled techno compatriots in Herbert, Kajioka, and Derer, Gabriella Vergilov’s latest offering only further progresses an already impressive catalogue that includes releases on Enemy Records, PALINOIA, Suara, and more in addition to her previous offerings on the Northern Parallels imprint.

Selector’s Sounds series follows a procedure that puts music quality before status or industry relationships. Learn how it works.

In keeping with their recent repertoire, Asymptote have released an EP of outside-the-box acid techno. Acid Pulse [SAV016], as it’s titled, makes a strong case for the subgenre. It released in digital and vinyl format April 7th via the duo’s own Suburban Avenue.

The four songs comprising Acid Pulse succeed in testing the sonic limits of acid techno. Dissonant 303 melodies, high tempos, and intelligent arrangements define the title track as well as “Under the Influence” and “Transition.” “Searching” is the outlier for how its subtle dub delay synths and atmospheres replace the bombastic 303s of the tracks preceding it.

In The Zone

Gabriele Ruggiero and Corrado Viggiano launched the Resistance Is Techno event brand in Rome in 2011, starting their Asymptote project soon after to perform at the parties as residents. They founded Suburban Avenue in 2014. Following EPs by 3KZ, Fanon Flowers, Z.I.P.P.O and Binny they debuted on the label themselves with the 2016 EP Behind The Scene.

The Asymptote sound once occupied a tasteful yet fairly straightforward space in the techno spectrum, but their recent foray into acid techno has yielded standout results. 2020 saw them test the waters of the genre with the EP Illusion Of Control, improving upon their sound with each subsequent release.

Acid Pulse is available for purchase in digital and 12-inch vinyl format via Suburban Avenue Bandcamp.