If Young Marco's entry was my gateway into IDM, EBM, New Wave sounds then this one smashed the gate all the way down and bathed me to the icy coldness and industrial sounds that incubated and thrived in places like Düsseldorf during the early to mid-80s.
A relatively uncomfortable listen for me, this music veers from the typical rounded, warm and woody sounds I am accustomed to. Haunting and eerie as it is, it's still very danceable. Just not at dances I'm used to attending - I've heard many DJs do a very good job of presenting this, including acts like Ben UFO, Barbara Boeing. I’m also particularly attracted to the vinyl scene that generally surrounds this music.
A relative late addition to my collection, I picked this up in 2022 and have not spent as much time in venues with it as I have with others from this series, this release brings a particular flavour of underground music that is very hard to get away with unless you already live/DJ in an area where this style of music is the norm - outside of Bristol, I struggle to think of a home for this music anywhere else in the UK. Although it is worth mentioning that acts like Cabaret Voltaire, from Sheffield UK, formed in 1973 and were pioneering this music as early as 1979 with Mix-Up and 1980’s The Voice of America.
I have a note on my phone, created on 24 March 2022, titled ‘What is EBM?’ - EBM being Electronic Body Music. I’m still not sure. I don’t yet have the breadth available in my collection to speak on this confidently. But slowly over the years this fills up more and more. As said above, the music tends to be colder and metallic in feel - if you’re a history buff you can see cold war soviet era influence. That’s the general vibe I get from the period, people, and area this music tends to come from.
Enjoy the notes below - compiled by Marcel Dettman, the compilation is an excellent introduction to what came before Techno. Next week we focus on nineties hardcore continuum tackle with Selectors 004.
Marcel Dettmann might be one of the world's most celebrated techno artists, but even he had to start somewhere. Long before he ever held court at Berghain (or its predecessor, Ostgut), he was just' another young boy in Eastern Germany, one whose earliest, encounters with capitalism involved spending every penny he could scrape together at the local record shop. In those days, it, wasn't techno that got him excited, but new wave, post-punk, industrial and EBM acts like Front 242 and Depeche Mode.
"It's music from my childhood," says Dettmann." It's still relevant and still inspires me." That inspiration can be heard across this edition of the Selectors series, as Dettmann has put together what he describes as a "pre-techno compilation." Assembled with an eye toward sharing these sounds with younger generations who didn't catch these tracks the first time around, the compilation is more than a collection of vintage gems - it also represents a very personal journey into Dettmann's past.
"It was a great opportunity to dig deeper into my own musical outlook," he explains. "The tracks come from a time before Marcel Dettmann became a DJ. Back then, I had most of them on 7” just because they were cheaper." Now freshly remastered - and occasionally reworked or re-edited by Dettmann himself such as Cabaret Voltaire's "Low Cool" and A Thunder Orchestra's "Diabolical Gesture” - the songs here are some of the building, blocks upon which he's built an incredibly storied career. "In an effort to find out a bit more about his relationship with these tracks, we've asked Marcel to tell us a bit about his history with each one.
FRONT 242 "DON'T CRASH"
In the early 90s, shortly after the wall came down in Berlin, I started getting into music. Like a lot of people, I got into Depeche Mode, who had recently released their Violator LP. Shortly after that, I inevitably discovered the music of Fad Gadget, DAF, Front 242 and Nitzer Ebb. I must have been 13 or 14 years old at that time. I liked the kind of power this music came with. It was strong and heavy and arrived during a time that teenage boys had to adjust to a quickly changing world. I still remember how I almost became feverish as soon as I got paid for distributing flyers and adverts- I would pour almost all of my earnings into vinyl, which I bought from a small shop in my home town.
Front 242 - Don't Crash / Written by Bressanutti, Codenys, De Meyer, Jonchkeere / Produced by Front 242 / 1985, Pias
FORCE DIMENSION "ALGORYTHM (MANIPULATING MIX)"
This track to me is one of the connection points between EBM and what would later become known as techno. It was released when techno was still in its infancy, so I would describe this band as one of the genre's not-so-famous pioneers. Force Dimension's debut album was on the edge between experimental post-industrial and dancefloor-oriented Electronic Body Music, two styles that had a big impact on me. I love the way the synth and the drums work together - it's dancefloor dynamics meets subtle songwriting. This track also reminds me a bit of DAF, but in a softer way.
The Force Dimension - Algorythm (Manipulating Mix) / Written by T.A. de Groot, R.V. Dijck/ Produced by R.V. Dljck, T.A. de Groot, L. Vroemen / 1990, KK. Records
EXECUTIVE SLACKS "SO MOTE IT BE"
I spotted this record on my first trip to NYC in 2008 in a small secondhand record store. As it happens - and this happens to me quite often - it was the B2 track that put a spell on me. In my opinion, the B2 track on a record is usually the most interesting one because artists have already liberated themselves from everything they were "supposed" to do on the first three tracks. This track shakes up everything, which is the main reason why I'm still fascinated by it. To me, this is punk.
Executive Slacks - So Mote It Be / Written by Matt Marello & John Young / Produced by Executive Slacks / 1983, Red Music
MARTIN DUPONT "THE LIGHT GOES THROUGH MY MOUTH"
The first time I heard of Martin Dupont was in 2004, when my old friend Wincent Kunth came to visit me in Berlin. Martin Dupont was a French darkwave band and this particular track was previously only available on a CD version of their Sleep Is a Luxury album. So naturally, the song came to mind when I realized that I had a chance to release it on vinyl as well.
Martin Dupont - The Light Goes Through My Mouth / Written by Alain Seghir, Brigitte Balian / Produced by Martin Dupont / 2009. Infrastition
A THUNDER ORCHESTRA "DIABOLICAL GESTURE (MARCEL DETTMANN EDIT)"
It must have been in the mid '90s when I bought this record at a secondhand street market in Berlin, simply because I was stunned by the artwork, During this time, I remember that I bought lots of stuff just because I liked the artwork. But to be honest, I'm usually not a big fan of the 7" format. Maybe that's why I didn't rediscover the record until 2004, when I was moving to Berlin. That was also when I started producing edits of tracks that I liked, just so I could play them out. The original version of "Diabolical Gesture" is way slower, so l increased the tempo and edited it.
A Thunder Orchestra - Diabolical Gesture (Marcel Dettmann Edit) / Written & produced by DesaD / 2017, Dekmantel
TWICE A MAN "HAPPY LIFE"
This track, made by a Swedish synth-pop band, is coming out of the time in my life before I discovered more industrial-flavored electronic music. While listening, I can always remember those days - my first love, the freedom of being a teenager in the east of Germany... as you can imagine, this was an important time for me. Another one of my favorites from that time period is Wolfsheim's "The Sparrows And The Nightingales."
Twice A Man - Happy Life / Written & produced by Karl Gasleben, Dan Soederquist, Johnny Riberg / 1986/1993, Yellow Ltd..
CABARET VOLTAIRE "LOW COOL (MARCEL DETTMANN EDIT)"
I think this edit must have come to light around 2004. I used to play this record at Berghain in the morning, and it works perfectly on the dancefloor. It's similar to A Thunder Orchestra's "Diabolical Gesture", in the sense that the original version is slower than my edit.
Cabaret Voltaire - Low Cool (Marcel Dettmann Edit) / Written by Richard H. Kirk & Stephen Malinder / Produced by Cabaret Voltaire / 2017, Intone Communications Ltd.
KAA ANTILOPE "RISE UP HELICOPTER, LIKE A BIRD"
I discovered this track on a compilation called Coal Heart Forever. Buying compilations is sometimes a bit like buying a picture book - it's not about one particular track or picture, it's more about the overall style, the design and the appreciation of the selection and curation that went into it. But in this case, this track was a true find and still stands out. It feels like you' re actually sitting in a helicopter and flying around.
Kaa Antilope - Rise Up Helicopter, Like A Bird / Written by Walheer, Vranckx/ Produced by Kaa Antilope / 1988. Sub Rosa
CLAN OF XYMOX "A DAY"
In my mind, Clan of Xymox is one of the most outstanding darkwave groups ever. Their self-titled album was strange, nervous, mysterious and brillant, and with its bold colors and emotions, Day" is a track that shows the genre's full potential. This song has been tremendously inspiring to me.
Clan Of Xymox - A Day / Written by Ronny Moorings, Anka Wolbert, Pieter Nooten / 1985, 4AD Limited
MINISTRY "SAME OLD MADNESS"
Previously unreleased, this track comes from a time before Ministry started producing more metal stuff and subsequently became more and more famous as a result. Although the band is best known for its pioneering combination of industrial dance and thrash metal, this tune is more in a synth pop vein. Some people consider the early years of Ministry to be artistically shallow, but this track stands out. I love that great spirit synth and the live drumming. In my mind, this is an early '80s masterpiece.
Ministry - Same Old Madness / Written by Alan Jourgensen / 2007, Cleopatra Records Inc.
FAD GADGET "BACK TO NATURE"
This is one of my absolute favorite Fad Gadget tracks. When I was much younger, we only had a single cheap record player at home and I actually bought this on 7 because was mostly broke at the time. This song is so heavy that it keeps you down to earth, but it also makes you happy at the same time. I can't think of a better final track for this compilation.
Fad Gadget - Back To Nature / Written by F. Gadget / 1979, Mute Records Ltd
💬 - Shawn Reynaldo
📷 - Evelyn Bencicova via Conspirators Berlin
🎨 - Ofpheu de Jong
