Balkan Express is a 2002 effort with a driving groove which earns it its name. The track has a very clean, unprocessed quality and would probably benefit from either further post-production or just plain old loudness(!), so keep that in mind when listening.
High quality wav is once again available. Enjoy.
Download: Balkan Express (mp3)Download: Balkan Express (wav)
Its time for another exclusive! Blasted is a hard track with all of the ingredients I like in my techno. Groovy kicks, crispy hats, dark metalic samples and vocal stabs. If you remember the track Dirty Yellow (covered here a few weeks ago) the shuffled hi-hat should sound familiar, very likely since its was sampled right from it! Blasted also has a nice breakdown mid-way through the track which features the Enigma effect from the awesome Waves collection.
Ego Programme is an experimental track from ’04. It combines IDM and Drum n’ Bass elements into a complex and trippy arrangement which stands alone in the Montaz/Biotic catalog.
Inspired by the sound of Squarepusher and Funckarma/Quench, the track features a variety of mangled beat chunks and even some orchestral elements, played using a (since forgotten) software application. Non-sampled beats were arranged using Native Instruments’ Battery, while the played synths were mostly played on the Access Virus B.
I’m not exactly sure why this genre wasn’t pursued more since but its something to keep in mind since I do dig it. Hope you will as well.
This just might be the biggest Dopevector release yet(!), and I’m thrilled to make it available in source format. Overtone is a remix of a track by the same name, but since I like it so much better than the original, it basically won over the title. The track was scheduled for release on the (awesome) Canadian techno label Ascend Recordings, however for one reason or another it never came out. Ascend hasn’t had a release in a few years and it appears that the label is no longer around which is too bad since I really liked its sound and have a bunch of the releases on vinyl.
In any case, Overtone remains one of my all time favorites and is likely my most satisfying production effort. What separates it in my mind is emphasis on the second beat which gives it an interesting rhythm shuffle. Rather than setting the tone of the track, the beat on this one serves the main theme and follows it closely. Obviously, the key element (preserved from the original) is the massive distorted riff, thickened by a sub level bass. These, and other synth sounds were played by a combination of the Access Virus B, and Native Instruments’ Reaktor software. Drums were played on the NI Battery drum sampler and dirtied up with the usual suspects.
(Btw, I’ll likely post the original version at some point in the future, so if you dig it do come back for more.)
In case you haven’t noticed, for the first time that the Production and Posted On dates are the same. That can mean only one thing. A brand, spankin’ new release! That’s right. Read on and check it out.
Compiling, mixing and recording sets can be a long and exhaustive process. But as a live mix, I really thought that this one would be done quickly.
Wrong.
Endless last minute track substitutions and additions, re-takes, multiple mastering attempts (each separated by careful review of the entire 80 minute set on different speakers and headphones) all stood in the way of the final recording. But all that is behind us now. I’m thrilled to have this set finally perfected and available to you. Get ready for: Present Day.
While it’s precedent, The Hook Up Service, was your summer pool party mash-up stacked with funky, up-beat grooves, Present Day is a focused and dark live set featuring the latest releases by techno artists spanning the globe; from places like Argentina, U.S.(Texas and Minnesota), Ireland, France, Germany, Slovenia, all the way to Japan.
Mixed live using the incredible Vestax VCM 600 controller and Ableton’s Live software, Present Day is a vintage Alek Biotic live set, updated to present day repertoire and technology.
So, turn up the volume, hit play and enjoy. Track list will be posted here soon. Comments are always welcome.
Track List:Btw, if you like Present Day, be sure to also check out Stereohype which has a similar vibe.
We’re going all the way back to 1997, to Electric Plant Studios somewhere deep in Brooklyn for a live Kill By Inches session with Shane and Tommy on vocals. Joining the two were Kevin Oriol on bass, Steve Papa on drums and Alex Kolundzija on guitar, with Vin Cin producing the mix.
Stylin’ was a unique and popular KBI jam separated from the rest by its mellow vibe topped with Shane Ali’s awesome rhymes. Never released, this might be a the only recorded version of it.
As the story goes, about a year after this session the band’s lineup would be reduced to only 3 guys, with both Tommy and Shane moving on to other projects. What followed is the Down To Three EP, still available in stores and featured here already with another KBI exclusive.
Btw, for more recent Shane Ali works (including some KBI covers!), check out his page on MySpace. And while at it, be sure to check out Born Of Scars, the band that features KBI’s Steve and Pete (who replaced Alex on guitar many years ago).
Kill By Inches recorded at Electric Plant Studios on many occasions and I’m happy to report that I have a few other sessions as well. Check back soon for more.
An old friend Matt contacted me the other day asking if I had a copy of Preston Space’s Time4Machine. (We haven’t heard from Preston in years and I haven’t listened to this, his first official mix in almost as long.) So I dug into the “archives” and was thrilled to find it. I even found the original cover art which I helped put together back in the day.
If you’ve never had the pleasure of hearing this mix, then get ready for an hour of masterfully blended psy-tech trance. I don’t have the track listing, but if you recognize any of the tracks send me the info and I’ll post it here. I do know that it features a track or two by Eternal Basement and believe that the last track is by Infected Mushroom.
Rough Cut is a hard techno track with a driving motive and thick groove. What I always liked about it is that it “grew” organically, much on its own with me just adding some water, so to speak. Much of the filtering was performed live and the final mix was initially considered the rough cut, which explains the title.
Due to the fast pace of music technology and the global reach and influence of dance music, many tracks quickly become characteristic of a specific time-frame (a polite way to call them “dated”), but I’d like to think that this one spans generations. Whatever,… enough metaphors. Here it is – another exclusive, and available in WAV and MP3 formats.
Download: Rough Cut (mp3)Download: Rough Cut (wav)
Incognito is an old housey track. It was produced in 2002 and almost got released on New York’s Gotham Grooves label shortly after the release of Funk Matter EP (which came up a couple of months ago in this post), but I forget why it never made it out. The artwork on the left was being considered as well at the time.
Anyhow, much like Funk Matter, Incognito is a sample-based, up-tempo jam and features some nice bells in the background. Wav download is provided.
Exclusive:< For the first time on on this blog (if my memory serves me right), I’m posting a few key samples used on a track so you can mess with them, if you’d like:
Download: Incognito Bassline (wav)Download: Incognito Guitar Loop (wav)
If you just want to listen to or download the track these links are for you:
We’re going waaaaaay back to 1993 (if my memory serves me right) for a track by the Bronx based band Sovereignty named Evil Mind. Formed by the guitarist/vocalist Derek Torres, Sovereignty was a speed/trash metal band influenced by the sounds of Iron Maiden, Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer, Anthrax, and others. Joining Derek was Eddie Moore on bass, Chris Peloso on drums and Aleksandar Kolundzija on guitar.
Accompanying the music were dark lyrics, frequently centered on dangers and effects of drug abuse, and challenges of urban life. Written by Derek Torres, Evil Mind is in a way an odd choice for an introduction to Sovereignty but the track represents the band’s core sound well, both the fast riffs and groovy breaks. It also features a great bass solo by Eddie (R.I.P.).
Sovereignty went through a few lineup changes after the release of Utopia, which featured Evil Mind, and the band eventually morphed into Derek’s current project – My Situation.
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