From obscurities uncovered during trips down Bandcamp rabbit holes to the latest releases from legendary artists, Crate Digging is here to keep your collection up to date.

1. Biemsix – The Payback (James Ruskin Remix) [Symbolism]

U.K. veteran James Ruskin remixes “The Payback” by Biemsix, keeping the original’s psychedelic, moody atmosphere intact, while adding some energy and funk in his inimitable style. Dance floor-ready machine funk at its finest.

2. Cinthie – Mellifluous [803 Crystal Grooves]

The first release on 803 Crystal Grooves in over two years, “Mellifluous” sees label head Cinthie drop a smooth, feel-good deep house cut that encapsulates her extensive knowledge of the history and key elements of the genre. Lush chords, shuffling drums, and a bumping bassline make this feel like an obscure B-side from a forgotten New York record label.

3. Aserr​í​n – Memories of Green [Pan-Am Tracks]

Aserr​í​n explores electro’s close ties with science (real and fictional) in “Memories of Green,” a heady, leftfield journey through sparkling melodies, glitchy effects, and otherworldly atmospheres to explore the concept of signal propagation and how it mediates the world around us. A great example of how a strong concept can add extra value to a great piece of music.

4. bluhol – Light and Shade [Oomycota]

“Light and Shade” lives up to its name with a psychedelic trip through contrasting elements. The debut release from Sydney/Eora-based label Oomycota sees Loïcc reinvent themselves as bluhol to explore the interplay of organic and synthetic through immersive soundscapes and creative use of modular synthesis.

5. FTP Doctor – Discomfort Dance (Dycide Remix) [IO-Records]

Dycide‘s remix of “Discomfort Dance” by FTP Doctor blends elements of techno, drum and bass, dubstep, and electronica into a melting pot of bass-heavy rhythms. Gnarly, up-tempo percussion and glitchy sound effects urgently bounce along above low-slung, speaker-shaking beats.

6. Llyr – Pareidolia [Mesh]

Immersive, densely-detailed breakbeat which reflects Llyr‘s flair for combining cinematic sound design with dance floor-ready grooves. “Pareidolia” gives a nod to the meaning of its title by subtly changing the melodic patterns and sequences throughout its runtime, adding a lot of re-listening value.

7. HVL – Lancet Mxi [Reclaim Your City]

“Lancet Mxi” combines thunderous breakbeats, gritty sound design, and melancholy melodic sequences to create a forlorn soundscape with a surprising amount of punch. HVL explores the intersection between dance floor functionality and hypnotic introspection to excellent effect on this one.

8. Josh Wink – Progression [Ovum Recordings]

Written on a flight from San Franciso to Philadelphia, “Progression” continues the 30th birthday celebrations of Josh Wink‘s Ovum Recordings. A captivating, ten-minute odyssey, it takes the listener through a heady, soulful blend of bleeps, beats and soaring pads.

9. Debasser – Gem [WIDE Records]

“Gem” is a unique, minimalist take on future garage, combining Debasser‘s signature bass-driven sound with quirky glitches, fluttering melodies, and shuffling drums.

10. IDA – Currents [Sävy Records]

Sitting comfortably in the space between techno, electro, and breaks, “Currents” is a rolling, gritty cut with touches of dusty, swirling melody. Ida draws on her eclectic taste to present a club-focused track with heart and intelligence.

11. Dubfire & Flug – Magma [CLR]

Dubfire releasing on CLR was most definitely not on my 2024 bingo card, but this collaboration with Flug is an incredibly welcome surprise. “Magma” is a dark and driving interpretation of the classic dub techno sound that plays to each of its creators’ strengths.

12. Ross Harper – Knocked Back Hard [City Wall Records]

“Knocked Back Hard” is a psychedelic, mechanistic take on downtempo electronica, inspired by Ross Harper‘s tantric stories about a character known only as Ambient Girl. Although it’s comprised entirely of synthetic sounds, it uses them in a way that feels organic and natural.

13. Shlomi Aber & Kashpitzky – Rust [Blueprint]

Reminiscent of some of James Ruskin‘s best work, it’s no surprise that “Rust” was released on his label Blueprint. It sees Shlomi Aber and Kashpitzky deftly weave melancholy pads between tough, driving percussion and round, punchy bass.

14. Sun People – No Fear No Hope [Defrostatica]

Austrian producer Sun People continues to explore cross-genre pollination, this time finding a soulful and playful nook in between footwork, jungle and techno. “No Fear No Hope” is the uncategorizable kind of 160bpm track that showcases how fruitful the tempo is for experimentation.

The techno-heavy gathering will expand its usual mid-afternoon until late next morning runtime to include daytime parties across five stages. Additional nighttime after hours events will also be curated. 

REFORM will take place at Catch One on Sunday, September 5th with Danny Tenaglia, Headless Horseman, and Josh Wink, among others. From 5:00 PM-2:00 AM, attendees also have the chance to catch Lauren Flax, DJ Hyperactive, and Truncate perform back to back.

Drumcell curates an entire BL_K Noise Live Room, featuring live performances by Richard Devine and Sentence (Drumcell and Surachai) as well as others. Visuals are provided by OKTAform.

The Discovery stage features Annika Wolfe, Jeniluv, Jelani plus more L.A. locals. 

REFORM by Night, the special nighttime program presented by DJ Mag, will be curated by DVS1. It will take place at an undisclosed location with the curator playing alongside Bernt, Lindsay Herbert, and Lonefront.

2021 marks the second edition after REFORM launched in 2019. The gathering is a concept created by L.A. promoters Syntetik Minds, Dirty Epic, and 6AM Group.

Attendees of the day event can exclusively get tickets for REFORM by Night. More information is available via Resident Advisor.