Currently I’ve been putting a lot of focus on the 90s in the playlist because I feel it was really such an important time for the underground sound. Not only was it when I personally got into the music, it was also a time where Europe really helped to propel it into the limelight. House and techno we’re both created in the cities of Chicago and Detroit but in the 90s it was the embracing of this music from Germany and Europe that really took things to the next level. Except for in the small underground scenes most people in the USA didn’t get the music.
However in Europe huge festivals we’re popping up everywhere, the most famous being Berlin’s Love Parade. An event that signified the reunification of Germany with the rebellious spirit of techno music that spoke to the youth of the time. In the same way it’s how the music spoke to me when I was a teenager. It was a sound and scene that allowed me to be who I wanted to be without any judgment, even if I was still trying to figure out what that might be at the that time, at least I was free to explore it.
I discovered this week’s track after my recent Occultists label night last Thursday in Berlin. Funny enough the track fits with my concept being called “Coven,” however that wasn’t the reason I chose the track to be on the playlist this week. After the event I was on social media and saw my friend post a video that was some footage of ravers from the 90s dancing to techno in a warehouse and it really brought me back to the early days. The kids in the video were just feeling it and really not having any cares in the world.
The track playing in the video wasn’t the original music at the party I quickly discovered. After some research I learned that the track was quite recent. Produced by Fabrice Torricella in the 2015, I feel he really captured the essence of the 90s sound with the track. Techno then was raw danceable noise that speaks to a part of our soul that doesn’t need vocals to feel music. It’s just a feeling and it’s quite dark but if there is one thing I’ve learned is that we must play in the darkness if we are to find the light. So get ready for some raw warehouse style techno that captures the spirit of the 90s with “Coven.”
Find out more about Fabrice Torricella here:
About the Curator - Matt Pentycofe
Musically inclined at a young age, Matthew would play many instruments and perform in musical theatre until he became a teenager. It was during these years that he discovered techno music from attending his first rave parties. These fated events would start a chain reaction love affair that has continued now for 18 years.
Finding an immediate passion as a DJ his musical persona James Demon was born. While navigating through the house and techno scene worldwide he would eventually relocate to Berlin and launch his record label Occultists. The record label features mystical electronic music with an esoteric and occult flair.
