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Marcel Fengler can look back upon a very productive year as an artist. There was the Frantic EP on Ostgut Ton, followed by DIN (a joint project with Efdemin) whose compositions formed one third of the MASSE CD and ballet and then arguably his most creative and intense project to date: the release of his debut solo album Fokus. For the remix EP accompanying this release Dave Clarke, Aubrey, The Exaltics and The Traveller were invited to place their focus on some chosen tracks.
Dave Clarke opens the 12" with his remix of “Sky Pushing”, the forceful but tender character of the original track is overturned into deep distortion and systematically lead towards gentle chaos, the steady drive of this rework leaves no room for pause as it propels the energies set free.
The break Techno of The Exaltics, whipped up with nervous bass and smoky drums, serves as one of the groovier additions to this EP. The massive beats that follow the break lift the track to another level and when the mellow vocals of “Mayria” set in, things fall into place in perfect combination.
On the other side Aubrey redefines “Trespass”. The absorbing arrangement combines unpredictable use of hi-hats and synths from the original with a dark and classic pumping beat and inspired flanger effects to diffuse the tension and create a balanced mix.
The final remix by The Traveller is also the greatest surprise, the track lures you in with a soft intro but soon develops into an old school techno stomper, the heavy kick and percussion is complemented by the reoccurring melody from “Jaz” inviting you to immerse yourself in the sound.
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The first Answer Code Request EP on Ostgut Ton. Patrick Gräser has already caused a great stir with his recent releases for MDR and his own eponymous ACR label.
His debut 12" for Ostgut Ton begins with “The 4th Verdict” and immediately shows clear direction. The hammering beats in sawtooth shape oscillate the sound of the track perfectly. The smoothly scripted pad and the eventual phasing-out of the broken beat complete the rest.
“Ghostes” continues the clear-cut course with unparalleled sound. The combination of drums and dreamy synths creates a mystic mood fitting the title of the track. Phenomenally everything floats in perfect conjunction.
The final track entitled “Breathe” ironically doesn’t leave room for air. Instead a mighty synth expanse winds itself relentlessly through the song. The characteristics of it’s sound salute a trance aesthetic and only when the beats cut out does the listener get a chance take a breath.
Released: 26 May 2014
There are only few producers that represent the essence of techno and the hardness and gloom of Berghain as perfectly as Marcel Dettmann, the founding member of the Ostgut Ton family. His long awaited second LP Dettmann II emerged on Ostgut Ton last year. For this remix EP of the album track “Seduction”, featuring the English, Berlin-based singer Emika, Dettmann lets Deuce, Anthony Parasole and Ryan Elliot take control of the temptation.
While the digital release hosts the short version, the long version of “Seduction” on the vinyl release brings the haunting and eerie character of this semi-ambient track to full effect, with the voice of Emika circling like a floating ghost. After the Deuce collaboration of Marcel Dettmann and Shed got a brief update on the Dettmann II album track “Aim”, the duo now modulate the Techno potential of “Seduction”. The vocals of Emika are not only transformed into morbid soundscapes, the resonance of the bass power turns their version into a brutal monster between agonizing desire and panic phobia.
Anthony Parasole is not only the latest member on the Ostgut booking roster, the man from New York also showed his verve for spooky sounds already with an EP on Marcel Dettmann Records, knowing how to impress with a reduced relaxation. His remix spirals into futuristic territory and targets the dancefloor with its dominant kick. Both the subliminal funk and the driving character, with its pleading vocal loops, evoke a mantra of black art. Ryan Elliot rounds the EP off with his interpretation. Starting with a throbbing kick drum, he flanks the subtle rumble in the background with dry hi-hats before the synth chords perform a courtship dance that spits out a bizarre but striking groove. In combination with the claps and the reverb on Emika's voice a fantastic theme crafted by a versatile arrangement emerges.
Released: 23 June 2014
May 2013 saw the premiere of the choreography MASSE: A co-production between Berghain and the Staatsballett Berlin. At the venue Halle am Berghain several producers explored in collaboration with different choreographers the various meanings of the subject “Masse” (English: mass): Henrik Schwarz, Dettmann|Wiedemann and DIN. With Efdemin and Marcel Fengler two well known Berghain players (and musicians of the electronic music world in general) joined their talents. Efdemin is known as a DJ from the label DIAL and as Panorama Bar resident, Marcel Fengler was one of the very first Berghain resident DJs.
Now, a year after the critically acclaimed stage production and parallel to the other music producers from MASSE, DIN take two of these compositions and create completely new arrangements, perfectly suited for the dance floor.
On the A-side “Euphorium” DIN transform the elegantly floating composition “Oscillation” from the choreography into a 4/4 track. The intro signal featuring a melancholy string arrangement is followed by a softly sculpted beat structure. The track radiates a gentle aura that disperses long waves of colour. Stabs of different melodies form a Moebius strip. Neatly placed on top of a pulsating bass drum they form a pastel-tinted infinity.
“Aetas” on the other side remains more bare without being too abstract. Synths appear to freeze inside a vast echoing space filled with complementing hand claps: Efdemin and Marcel Fengler create something recumbent from the material that was entitled “Conclusion” in the stage production. The tension of “Aetas” is created through bypassing frequencies: there’s deep bass and there are sharp highs as well but what happens in between meanders in unforeseeable directions and the production succeeds as a perfect adaptation for the club.
May 2013 saw the premiere of the choreography MASSE: A co-production between Berghain and the Staatsballett Berlin. At the venue Halle am Berghain several producers explored in collaboration with different choreographers the various meanings of the subject “Masse” (English: mass): Henrik Schwarz, Dettmann|Wiedemann and DIN
Now, a year after the critically acclaimed stage production and parallel to the other music producers from MASSE, Marcel Dettmann und Frank Wiedemann deliver two of the tracks remixed for the club.
There's a swift introduction of the bass drum on “Spiritoso”: The syncopated, triggering and gently upward drifting original is now seeking the sheltering darkness of an enclosed space. Dettmann | Wiedemann are glazing a black light terrarium with the help of night-deep pianos, wheezing flags of echo and ghost lit keyboards. And the creatures inside elongate and dance towards a peculiar light.
The B-side “Martellato” on the other hand heads for lift-off, the descending flight ends inside a soft net. The tripping buzz and pull of the original is transformed and spectres appear inside the track, constantly modulating, their faces keep shifting: a direct acoustic footprint of the subject mass.
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Now, a year after the critically acclaimed stage production and parallel to the other music producers from MASSE, Henrik Schwarz delivers two tracks remixed for the club.
On “Lockstep” the Berlin House maestro Henrik Schwarz transforms his material from the MASSE soundtrack into a missile for the floor and uses fine tuning of the filters to full effect. This is no debarkation, this is a rush for the peak time.
The pop hit of the MASSE ballet “Unknown Touch” receives a healthy shot of vivacity for the floor mix on the flip side of the 12". Initially the track positions itself somewhere between UK Funky and Grime traditions as Schwarz pitches down the strings towards the bass line, but soon “Unknown Touch Two” begins to open up as it plays around inside its own sound boxes. Pizzicatos, cheering bells and house piano travel on waves like kids on a seesaw. A piece of music like a happily grinning face, so deep and joyous.
Released: 28 July 2014
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Following the release of the second Tobias. solo album on Ostgut Ton this February, Mathew Jonson & The Mole, Peter Van Hoesen and Blue Hour deliver three of the album tracks in remix form. On the album A Series Of Shocks the multifaceted tracks and their puristic sonority exemplify a contemporary sound that shines through its passion for detail and the decades of experience that Tobias. brings to his music.
The Mathew Jonson & The Mole remix spans the whole A side of the 12". The track is constructed over 9 minutes. An arc of suspense is built by the gently rising percussion and the mix of the hi-hats. The trademark Tobias. sound completes this excursion and a completely new track emerges. The original elements of “If” remain perceptible as hints only but this remix is a fine addendum to the album.
“Cursor Item Only” acquires a new direction in the remix by Peter Van Hoesen, who previously contributed an astonishing intro track for Marcel Fengler's Berghain 05 mix. His remix of “Cursor Item Only” is a broken Techno groove with absorbing bell structures, in combination with intriguing effects they appear to turn on themselves like a screw inside the break only to plunge back to their starting position the very next moment.
The last remix comes from the relative new face Blue Hour. Even though it’s the final track, his remix of “He Said” couldn’t be further away from shutting down, instead it leads the mood of the remix EP towards the peak time phase. Reduced but to the point. Through combination of classic 909 drums and a remarkable arrangement of the original sounds Blue Hour manages to slay the dancefloor.
Released: 11 August 2014
The Panorama Bar series on Ostgut Ton returns with volume 6 and brings ten new exclusive tracks on two EPs all taken from the Panorama Bar 06 mix compilation by Panorama Bar and Berghain resident Ryan Elliott. Part I features contributions from Newworldaquarium, Roman Flügel, Terrence Dixon, Borrowed Identity and Tuff City Kids.
The EP is released simultaneously with Part II (O-TON 82) on 12“ & download. Ryan Elliott’s Panorama Bar 06 mix is available on Ostgut Ton’s new mix compilation format as a stream and free download directly from the label’s website.
The Panorama Bar series on Ostgut Ton returns with volume 6 and brings ten new exclusive tracks on two EPs all taken from the Panorama Bar 06 mix compilation by Panorama Bar and Berghain resident Ryan Elliott. Part II features contributions from contributions from The Oliverwho Factory, Deadbeat, Nick Höppner, Makam and Marcel Dettmann.
The EP is released simultaneously with Part I (O-TON 81) on 12“ & download. Ryan Elliott’s Panorama Bar 06 mix is available on Ostgut Ton's new mix compilation format as a stream and free download directly from the label’s website. Part I contains five more tracks from Newworldaquarium, Roman Flügel, Terrence Dixon, Borrowed Identity and Tuff City Kids.
Released: 27 October 2014
New York City-based DJ, producer and The Corner label owner Anthony Parasole makes his debut on Ostgut Ton with three new percussive-heavy Techno tracks on the My Block EP.
“Percussive music, that's my ground, my foundation but I am missing the feeling of tribalism in Techno today. I've been using a lot of different drum techniques over the past years, implementing them to Techno. The record ‘Quickstrike’, that I've released on my own label The Corner, was an edit record of an old sample-based house release. To me this was a test if people would gravitate to this sound and it was the biggest record on The Corner so far. From there I knew I could do this and two tracks off my new EP on Ostgut Ton work like this: ‘Typhoon’ features bongos, congas and all kinds of skin percussion, ‘My Block’ uses a different kind of percussive color.
HipHop in general and the Cut-up technique in particular have also heavily inspired me as a producer. During the 1990s music seemed really profound – a little bit tougher too. I listened to a lot of HipHop when I was writing the music for this new release and applied its methods to my own music. Many producers at that time were very forward-thinking. Wu-Tang Clan's RZA uses a sixteenth note technique that made me realize that I wanted this kind of hypnotizing sound to work in a Techno format. Another big influence were late 1970s Horror movie trailers. I was watching them while I was working on ‘Bizarre’ in the studio, I was inspired to capture the eerie tones and textures of those short clips in ‘Bizarre’.
At the end of the day I work within certain parameters. Everytime I make a sample, I drop it into my personal folder – so all my music has a similarity of up to 50 or 60%. Maybe I'll use the same drumkit or kickdrum. I apply limitations to myself, but doing this also gives me my own voice. When I was learning how to produce, Levon Vincent taught me to make my own drum kit, to make my own synth kit and to work within this. Sample-based music is inspiring, and creating something out of found sound is very interesting to me. I think a sound signature is something that will always refine ones sonic pallet and skill set.”
