- It's a matter of taste and personal opinion, but for me, it's as a DJ that Marcel Dettmann does his most outstanding work. He is a talented producer (Dettmann was compelling in its bone-dry austerity, Dettmann II less so), but his DJ sets—as gritty, chewy and funky as his productions are pared-back and severe—achieve an expansive, expressive freedom. With his technical skills and signature sound honed to electrifying perfection, Dettmann can pack incredible drama, sonic variety and emotional nuance into a CD-length mix. 2011's Conducted mix was a potent example of that, and fabric 77 is every bit its equal.
From Ryan James Ford's ambient opener to the beautifully gliding synths of Vril's closing track, "Torus XXXII" (propelled along on what could be a sped-up, one-finger punk bassline), fabric 77 shows Dettmann going full circle, exploring track-by-track the different elements of his sound as easily as if he were flicking through pages of a magazine. It's a common criticism of techno DJs that they tend to play within one narrow sub-set of the genre. Not Dettmann. There are stand-out records on fabric 77 that clearly reset the mood. Dario Zenker's kettle-drum driven "Nearlin" flings the mix forward, just as Dettmann's own edit of Paperclip People's "Country Boy Goes Dub" provides a moment of spliffed-out, mid-set reflection. There is a giddy electro bounce to The Persuader's "Sun Position" that forms a sweet, subtle contrast to Terence Fixmer's darker, subterranean "Inside of Me." Each and every track (many of them upcoming on Marcel Dettmann Records) brings the momentum up or down a few notches in a way that keeps the mix fresh.
There is a lot of stylistic ground covered between the peak-hour fervour of Answer Code Request's "Transit 0.2" and Norman Nodge's brilliant, whacked-out "BB 1.0" (a delirious mess of drunken bloops and jabbered vocals skittering across a head-banging beat), but you barely notice the ground shifting beneath your feet. This is what Dettmann does week-in, week-out as a club DJ: he exploits techno's full-spectrum while maintaining a distinctive sound. It is an art. He has mastered it.
トラックリスト01. Ryan James Ford - Arthure Iccon
02. The Persuader - Sun Position
03. Terence Fixmer - Inside Of Me
04. Marcel Dettmann - Apron (PAS The Rhythm Remix)
05. Answer Code Request - Transit 0.2
06. Dario Zenker - Nearlin
07. Monobox - Film
08. FBK - It’s Not The Point
09. Marcel Dettmann - Radar (Byetone Remix)
10. Rod - RSPCT
11. Paperclip People - Country Boy Goes Dub (Marcel Dettmann Remix)
12. Norman Nodge - BB 1.0
13. Francois X - Rising
14. Marcel Dettmann - Lightworks (Ø [Phase] Remix)
15. Lockertmatik - M_Lock 4
16. Wincent Kunth - Carlre
17. Joey Anderson - Repulsive (Marcel Dettmann Edit)
18. Marcelus - Flash
19. Vril - Torus XXXII