“…Taking artists from across the world, as well as the epicentres of Chicago and Detroit. From minimal 4/4 tracks and into quirky funk influenced tracks Generator have put together a complex compilation that shows what techno is about…”
(October 2010) DJ T-1000 and his Generator label is back after a hiatus of two years with a full-blooded double LP compilation. Generator: Broadcast High Tech features eight artists from across the globe on the two pieces of wax. Detroit and Chicago are represented, as is Ohio, the UK and Sydney Australia. So how have Generator Records fared with this latest instalment?
On scanning through the line-up for this record there is a nice blend of formidable legends of techno peppered with some new comers. The album opens with the debut of UK based Abstract Science and “The Grinder.” The track is a fast paced, pumping piece of techno with driving beats forming the backbone of the track. Following on is Sydney resident Andy Rantzen. The psychology student, come lecturer in Sydney University, has a pretty varied CV. Releasing as part of Itch-E & Scratch E, Rantzen stands alone on this compilation with the minimal and lo-fi “The Kiss.” The flipside sees the big guns out. First up is label boss DJ T-1000 with his “Detroitism.” The track is steeped in the 90’s, taking influences from Detroit and the Europe techno scene. Think a cross between Eevo Lute and A13. Next up is Terrence Dixon of Metroplex, Tresor and Rush Hour fame. The listener is transported to a darker world, one of stark beats and looming sounds. The second 12″ opens with Emphasis Recordings’ Obsolete Music Technology. The track, “Past Virtue,” is a beat filled affair cut through with some nice squalid synth tones. Plural aka James Johnson Jr of SIXONESIX makes his vinyl debut with a claggy piece of minimalism. Into the final run Chicago’s Jamal Moss is drafted in with “Fine and Mellow.” The Crème Organization artist and Mathematics head serves up a harsh piece of Chitown, gritty and gnarled. The record comes to an end with a “Friday Night: UBQ” by Windimoto, the first track by the twosome since early 2008. An upbeat funk styled track is the result and ends the 2LP.
Across two slabs us a snapshot of global techno. Taking artists from across the world, as well as the epicentres of Chicago and Detroit. From minimal 4/4 tracks and into quirky funk influenced tracks Generator have put together a complex compilation that shows what techno is about. It may have been two years since Generator Records last release, but Generator: Broadcast High Tech is definitely worth the wait.
Generator: Broadcast High Tech is out now on Generator.
