DEAS Schallplatten & CDs

Review: Karol Mozgawa is Polish techno talent Deas, and he brings his class to Planet Rhythm here, although it's Ferdinger remix of 'Dissociation' which gets things underway. It's a speedy and supple techno pile-driver with euphoric chords sure to elevate the 'floor. '8 AM' is much more mechanical and industrial with unrelenting drums and textured hooks peeling off the beats. 'Dissociation' in original form is a classic bit of soulful hi-tek Motor City goodness and 'Error' closes with some raved up synth madness and super-sized hi hats.

Review: Deas shows he has plenty of ideas (no? sorry) on this stark and futuristic techno missive from Bau Muzik. 'Red' drops you right into the heart of the dance floor at 4 am with wide eyes, flashy strobes and sweat everywhere. 'Yellow' is another hurried, hunched over, fizzy techno bomb that wrestles you along for the ride whether you like it or not and then things slow touch with the more paired back sounds of 'Black'. It's a wispy and airy blend of loops that move at pace but invite you in rather than pushing you away. 'Blue' is a lithe, funky number that exudes a sense of cool.

Review: Bau Muzik continues to establish itself in the new school techno realm with another backs-to-the-wall banger. Deas is in control for this one and kick off in potent fashion with dense layers of drums and-etc run through with a surging synth pulse that powers things forwards. 'Concentrate' is another cut that quickly establishes itself then rolls on and novels only subtly as it draws you into its mental maze, then things switch up with 'Flow'. It's a more wild and unhinged sound that will have the floor in raptures - if they can keep up - before 'Form' finishes things off with heavy and industrial techno loops.

Review: Deas is the Greek producer now based in Krakow with a relentless, prolific body of work behind him. Since he first signed with Planet Rhythm in 2019 it's been hard to keep up, but the quality doesn't dip so the onus is on you to stay in the loop. His fourth release of 2023 kicks off with the pressure cooker, strobing pulse of 'Black Air' before pirouetting into the cyclical head trip of 'Tanzhaus' So far, so solid. 'Dark Line' on the flip fires off nervy bleeps on top of a thunderous rhythm section and 'Cut' completes the picture with a huge monotone arp hitting around the low mids and some Detroit-style stabs sneaking in up top for a true roof-lifting moment to peak any self-respecting techno set.

Review: Netherlands techno titan Planet Rhythm goes full percussive gas giant on their latest V/A, 'Friction', a motorsport motivator full of accelerometric elan - one of several V/As to grace their revving catalogue in recent times. Ramon Tapia leads the motorcade with 'Friction', a stabbing aerator full of overtop claps and rims, while Louis Lp's 'Radioactivity' unsettles with its seething high ringing and affectively isolated chord-stab-melody. Deas' 'Hard Dreams' nods to the real, unshakeably material core of dreams, with its rancorous full-tone acids, while Ramon Topia closes with 'Fear', a restless, chord-throttling, hard trancey, speed demonic rally racer.