11 tracks from my record collection
Welcome to my very own little internet lair. Not too long ago I used to spend quite some time online on blogs, message boards and DIY magazine-style websites, discovering tunes, artists, labels and everything else imaginable within the realm of electronic music. I feel like these outlets no longer exist for the most part — at least I don't know where they would exist. But the people interested in it do exist. On pages dedicated to tunes on Instagram for example, loads of subreddits, telegram groups and so on. These days it seems like most of the conversation about music and the pursuit of discovering music has shifted to major platform ecosystems, with varying degrees of doomscroll / slot machine mechanics attached to them.
So I decided to add this blog feature to the label website as a non-algorithmic archive of music, thoughts or anything else conceivable existing in a collection of blog posts. The irony of having to spread the information here over said global platforms in order for it to be discovered isn't lost on me, but maybe that will change over time.
I'm 11:68PM, I make music and run a label called Craft Services. To kick things off with this blog, last night I went through my record collection and picked 11 records that roughly define the sound of Craft Services. In other words, these records might have influenced my taste in music and how I'd like the label to sound one day. Let's see how well this list ages.
(In no particular order)
Tomson feat. Diamondancer — Tap the Core (Delano Smith Vocal Remix)
I've been an admirer of Delano Smith and his productions for a long time and when I came across this remix he made for Tomson & Diamondancer on Development Music some 15 years ago, my admiration for his subtle, chiseled way of crafting deep and moving house music only grew further. Being a sucker for spoken word elements since the UR days, this one felt as fresh as it felt familiar at the same time. It's a testament to the fact that you don't need a lot to create depth.
Four Legs — Sonya's Theme
Four Legs is a collaboration between Samo DJ and Elias Landberg of Skudge. The track in question here is the A1 of the first release on Sattaoja, a label run by Samo DJ himself. I found this one in a record store in Munich and remember buying it without being fully convinced what to think of it. It is one of those records you put in your shelf and rediscover quite a while later, as if you weren't ready for it yet.
Blue Wig — Ignorance (Part 1)
Blue Wig is a collaborative effort by Terry Francis and Gideon Jackson. I don't know if I were able to come up with a pairing of artists that I'd be more keen to hear on an EP. This one was released on Eye 4 Sound, the label run by Terry Francis himself and Swag Records affiliate Jiten Acharya. The A1 "Ignorance (Part 1)" is an excellent piece of UK tech house from the turn of the century. The main synth keeps swelling on and on, just shy of catapulting the track into big room territory before diving back into deepness with that sweet bass syncopation. Plus Sam "The Man" Burns was sampled to appeal to the dancefloor's conscience. And don't even get me started on the drums.
Gari Romalis — Tek Dance
The Detroit based producer Gari Romalis released this EP called "The Vision Of Rhythm" on the London label ANMA Records in 2015. While all four tracks on the EP are decent and usable in respective situations, it's the B2 "Tek Dance" that stood out for me. It is likely a hardware jam, judged by the way the sequences come together. And every so often with these jams, sometimes everything gels together so well despite its sparsity. This one also benefits from being deployed a couple cents slower than originally intended.
Jävel — Terapi
Jävel is an alias of the Swedish producer Tony Senghore, one he apparently only used once, for this record called "The Art Of Bad Timing" on his own Anonym Records. The A1 "Terapi" is literally of therapeutic value. Excellent ever evolving groove paired with swirling synths tripping over themselves.
DJ Kom — Sense & Sensibility
"Sense & Sensibility" is the B Side on an EP called "Mon Rouge" on the Berlin label Formaldehyd. DJ Kom had a couple nice releases in the 90s, this 10 minute flight is probably my favorite. The Detroit influences are undeniable, there's a gloominess to the tune that gets broken up every now and then by the live feel of the drum sequencing and more hopeful synth elements. I like tracks that take their time and still manage to keep you on your toes.
Picture — Rul
Rul is the A1 of the Metric EP by Picture, which is an alias of the danish producer Natal Zaks, also known as Central. I remember when I came across this record, as it felt familiar in sound aesthetics but still had a level of freshness and intricacy to it that drew me in. 138 BPM is quite fast, at least for the style of music I personally play, but it chugs away just as well pitched down a couple percent.
Amir — Rocky Mountain
I remember finding this record at Spacehall, no clue about the artist or the label at the time. Turns out, Trapez is a dancefloor DJ tool focused sublabel of the Cologne imprint Traum Schallplatten. That's precisely what Amir from Mainz fulfilled with the B Side here. A well rounded infectious groove built to keep the floor simmering.
Marcman — Rasarit
I'm not 100% sure where I picked this one up, so my best guess is that it's one of my discoveries during COVID times. A couple of record stores were struggling and thus offering "mystery packs" to order home for a nice bulk price. It sounded like a nice idea and I was bored, so I ordered a bunch. Most of it was so-so and ended up being resold, but some gems were in there, like this one. I can't put my finger on it, but to me it sounds like a very well executed example of french breaky tech house. A nice, functional groove, crunchy samples that carry the grit of the dusty MPC they emerged from. At least that's what I imagine it to be.
Katana — Erotmania (Keemos Laseroom Mix)
This 1996 remix EP of the trance / techno classic "Erotmania" by Katana was a surprising find for me. Successful originals used to get remixed to death in the 90s, assumingly to further the original success into any possible neighboring genre. Sometimes, a nice version emerges from this — I'd argue that's what happened with the B1 "Erotmania (Keemos Laseroom Mix)" here. Cheesy choir synths, yes, but it's a vibe. These icy digital pads can cleanse your palette very effectively. Feels like turning a page within a DJ set.
Expander — Time On Devine
This track is the A2 on an EP called "Mind Your Own Business" by dutch duo Expander from '97. Another example of a techno groove that fares very well when slowed down. The fairly high bassline gets really gnarly with a couple cents less on the pitch. Loopy enough to get carried away, dreamy enough to create a moment. Love it.