having remixed depeche mode and dj hell as well as releasing a new fixmer/mccarthy single with douglas mccarthy (of nitzer ebb), 2017 has already proven to be a productive year for terence fixmer. with the new force ep, the berghain resident follows up on 2016 s beneath the skin ep (o-ton 97), offering four stylistically different but congenial techno scenarios for club use. the record s eponymous track on a1 doesn t think twice: the initial signal horn starts as sudden as the staggered kick drum rhythm, reoccurring throughout the cut s 6-minute playtime while sustained and oppressive screams from a synth, extra multifaceted ebm percussion and synth drones add to the overall sombre atmosphere of ôforceö. the musical vibe distinctly changes with ôsidewalkö which puts more focus on synth melodies û like its predecessor a techno cut per se, but with a stronger accent on hypnotic motifs. on b1 ômelting planetsö emphasises the kick: clocking in slightly slower than the other three tracks û at 122 bpm û the bass drum here sounds extra vivid, ever-present and spot-on, just as if terence was playing the drum kit sitting right next to you. with additional percussion and swirling melodies ômelting planetsö is a lulling, mesmerizing meditation in dub techno. ôstriking patternsö on b2 links to the best moments of force ep s a-side, combining bone-dry bass drum hits and distinctive brazen, banging noises, pulsing synths pads and sizzling surface sounds.

terence fixmer goes beneath the skin on his first solo release on ostgut ton.

kobosil, norman nodge and marcel dettmann offer new versions of fixmers 2003 >aktion mekanik theme<

5x12 inch lp box

terence fixmerÕs path through the changing techno landscape of the past 20 years has been anything but direct. indeed, the french born producer, musician and planete rouge label founder has long been influenced by the periphery of continental european dance music subgenres from electronic body music, new beat and acid, before combining them into his own pioneering hybrid of futuristic, ebm-inflected techno with classic releases such as 2001Õs muscle machine or the collaborative between the devil lp with nitzer ebbÕs douglas mccarthy as fixmer/mccarthy. while the sound in recent years has been rediscovered and recast in diverse contexts by a new generation of producers, through the cortex sees fixmer gravitating toward a different kind of industrial-tinged electronics, led as much (or more) by analogue sequencers, melodies and ultra-saturated sounds of synthesizers than drums and percussion. across eight tracks at a compact but varied 40 minutes, the lp touches on an aesthetic hinted at in recent ostgut ton releases (2016Õs beneath the skin ep and 2017Õs force ep), revealing a sonic narrative through noisy, screaming synth/vocal riffs with a jagged, guitar- like post-punk sensibility.

2xcd compilation