Both New Era and Adamha will be welcome news to anyone who has followed Marco Repetto. To the newcomer, each 12” illustrated the Italian’s enviable ability to melt genre boundaries and reach exciting new ideas.
A treasure trove of unheard material and tapes in search of forgotten wonders
Most artists feel they deserve greater recognition. Some genuinely do. Marco Repetto is one of them. This Italian artist is arguably best known for The Purple Universe album, a double LP created with Stefan Riesen of ambient techno musings that appeared on Rephlex in the early 90s. The pair also ran the beautifully curated Axodya, Repetto going alone to set up the IDM focussed Inzec.
In recent years, a new found appreciated has grown for the mysterious Marco. His experimental wave moniker of La Luna Sotto Il Ponte was picked up on Infoline while his Bigeneric machinations have featured on labels like SLOW LIFE and Moto music.
Too many names? Hopefully there’s space for one more. Planet Love is a techno nom de plume that surfaced in 1991. It is to this pseudonym that return_backspace have founded their label.
Return_backspace have been working with Repetto, going through a treasure trove of unheard material and tapes in search of forgotten wonders. The first results were heard just over twelve months ago with the New Era 12” seeing the reawakening of Planet Love. Three tracks make up the record and are prime examples of this almost forgotten moniker of Repetto’s. The title piece is a dreamy space immersion, an absorbing work of ambient techno. It’s to techno the 12” turns to with the daubby basslines, rolling drum beats and beaming brilliance of “Flowers” before the bleep inspired elegance of “Bird Song.”
Just back from the pressing plant, Adamha is just hitting shops. Mirroring the New Era release, the 12” contains three tracks that were created in the 1990s. “Creator’s Planet” opens in a haze of satellite beeps and lost voices before warming synthlines descend. Beats never emerge, a heady tension maintained through burbling bass and that omnipresent bleep that permeates the outing. Percussion arrives through the acid smoke and robotic samples of the title piece. Elements of big room 90s rave are coupled with bleep in this ephemeral and euphoric work. Elements of Chicago come to the fore in “The Blue Dream.” A groove of stabbing notes is flecked with rasping rhythms, playful key changes are countered by deep pads and thick samples.
Both New Era and Adamha will be welcome news to anyone who has followed Marco Repetto. To the newcomer, each 12” illustrated the Italian’s enviable ability to melt genre boundaries and reach exciting new ideas. With the unearthing of Repetto’s DAT tapes, the hope is that return_backspace will continue to bring unreleased gems to light from this trailblazing producer.
New Era & Adamha are available on return_backspace.
