Stroboscopic Artefacts Germany Schallplatten & CDs

Review: Luca Mortellaro's Berlin-based label Stroboscopic Artefacts rose to prominence in 2010, with the coining of the term 'compressed dub' to describe SA's unique mastering process becoming a talking point among the heads down techno fraternity. Here we see the label chief, operating under his Lucy pseudonym, release a remix 12" in anticipation of his debut album due out in March. Beelines For Working Bees sees a nice mix of established and nascent techno talent - namely James Ruskin, Tommy Four Seven, Peter Van Hoesen and Truss - rework four album tracks with considerable aplomb. Ruskin turns the album's most epic moment, "Bein", into a deeper, more sedate roller, while Truss and Van Hoesen offer bruising takes on "Eon" and "Lav" over on the flip.

Review: Five years on since their last joint outing in Stroboscopic Artefacts Monad series, Speedy J and Lucy team up again as Zeitgeber on 'Seventeen Zero Four', a new three-tracker descending deep into the filthy,tenebrous outskirts of club music.

Review: Three of techno's biggest names under different alias appear on this second release Stroboscopic Artefacts have put out to celebrate their five year tenure of abstract techno. "Totemism" may well be an off-cut from Zeitgeber's debut and self-titled album, a collaboration between Speedy J and SA label boss Lucy. It's reminiscent of the early, rhythmically dubby productions of the label's earlier releases, while L.B. Dub Corp (aka Luke Slater) provides a reduction of his thunderous Ostgut Ton mega-storm "Take It Down In Dub". With more five year celebrations on the way, this adds to the unexplainable tone of a label that's now firmly fixed in Berlin club culture.