- Thirty years on, the Berlin institution shows why they're the tastemakers while reminding everyone how this scene was built on the back of Detroit.
- Techno is only 40 years old, with origins in Cybotron's "Alleys Of Your Mind" and A Number Of Names' "Sharevari," both released in 1981. It was in the shadow of de-industrialization that the majority Black youth of Detroit were creating a new subculture and sound that would change the world. Over that decade, techno solidified as a concept, with its golden age coming to an end with the short-lived but influential Music Institute opening in 1988.
That same year, in West Berlin, a club focusing on the European acid house scene called UFO was launched by a group of artists that included Dimitri Hegemann. While in the US the decay of American cities was well underway, Hegemann and others seized the opportunity of German reunification to develop a vibrant arts scene in which techno would play a key role. The Music Institute only stayed open for one year, and the original UFO didn't last much longer, briefly finding a second location before closing in 1990. The next year that same young German team opened Tresor, which firmly established Berlin as the focal point for techno culture outside of the Motor City.
In a scene often defined by tension and appropriation, Tresor has maintained a healthy relationship with their commitment to the Detroit-Berlin connection. The classic lineup of Underground Resistance (Mike Banks, Jeff Mills and Robert Hood) were one of, if not the, major influence on the sound that defined the club and label. While the wider world came to see Berlin as the center of techno, those who cared to pay attention saw the immense respect Tresor held for Detroit. For over 30 years, Banks and Hegemann have helped forge a bond between the two cities' artistic communities that doesn't exist anywhere else. To this day, Hegemann remains committed to bringing a world-class venue to Detroit, despite recent setbacks for his plans for a club at the Packard Plant.
Tresor 30 is a look into the evolutionary tree of techno from a foundational force in this Berlin-Detroit connection. The sequencing is meticulous, with a massive amount of thought going into the placement of tracks and artists that compliment each other. After paying homage to the roots with Nomadico's remix of UR's classic "The Final Frontier," we're introduced to the latest techno styles from the newest generation of African diaspora artists. Huey Mnemonic serves up a nice contemporary rolling Detroit track with "Transmutation," D. Strange comes through with the funky Midwestern electro beatdown of "Metal Mono" and Speaker Music takes a turn towards the experimental with the frenzied percussion and samples of "focus.point.shoot."
Next up is the illustrious Afrodeutsche with the downtempo beater "CAN'T STOP," which shares a side with a rare track, "I Love You," from techno originator Juan Atkins. From that point onward, Tresor 30 is a who's-who of established and breakthrough artists, with something for every type of techno enthusiast—and no filler to be found. The final five tracks are more ambient and abstract, giving a nice comedown from the heavy onslaught of dance floor weaponry.
The other standout moments are the chunks of tracks that showcase the current generation alongside the veterans. LSDXOXO's warehouse slammer "Love In Allegiance" starts off a string of excellent numbers from Sophia Saze, Blake Baxter and SHE Spells Doom. The section assembling Drexciya, Russell E.L. Butler, DJ Stingray 313 and Jensen Interceptor is a blueprint for how to do electro correctly. Even the most chin-stroking, pretentious scenesters can't hate on the level of quality.
Another strength of Tresor 30 is the level of diversity in terms of both gender and ethnicity. It would have been a simple task for all the tracks to be from Detroit OGs and Berlin club mainstays, but the breadth of intergenerational talent is wide. In today's climate, corporate interests are running over each other trying to prove their dedication to the underrepresented. But there was no campaign focusing on the diversity of the talent pool in this case. By doing the work instead of posturing, Tresor offers myriad styles that reflect the various backgrounds of the artists. The artistic pool gathered is a reflection of what the techno community looks like at a global level. This is in no small part due to the work of the pioneers of this unique connection that Detroit and Berlin have built in the name of music and futurism.
TracklistA1 Underground Resistance - The Final Frontier (Nomadico Remix)
A2 Huey Mnemonic - Transmutation
B1 D. Strange - Metal Mono
B2 Speaker Music - focus.point.shoot
C1 AFRODEUTSCHE - CAN'T STOP
C2 Juan Atkins - I Love You
D1 rRoxymore - MULTIPLICITY
D2 Helena Hauff feat. Paris The Black Fu - Electronic Future
E1 Lara Sarkissian - In The Form Of A Sphinx
E2 Jeff Mills - Late Night
E3 K-HAND - Boiler
F1 Claude Young - In Circles
F2 Porter Ricks - Anguilla Electrica
G1 Basic Channel - Phylyps Base
G2 Moritz von Oswald - Segment
H1 Donato Dozzy - Le Confort Electronique
H2 Verraco - Umbral de dolor
I1 KMRU - neutral points
I2 Surgeon - Berlin Disease
I3 Regis + James Ruskin present O/V/R - Natural Enemies
J1 Claudia Anderson - Track 3
J2 machìna - Trio
K1 Robert Hood - Master Builder (Sandman Option)
K2 Function - Mirror Hour
L1 LSDXOXO - Love In Allegiance
L2 Sophia Saze - Curtains
M1 Blake Baxter - One More Time (Acid Mix)
M2 SHE Spells Doom - Splash
N1 DJ Minx - Dequindre Cut
N2 Whodat - Grit
O1 Anthony "Shake" Shakir - Madmen
O2 Daniel Bell - Still Buggin'
P1 Bergsonist - Tout Maintenant
P2 Loidis - In The Place I Sit
Q1 Drexciya - Jazzy Fluids
Q2 Russell E.L. Butler - James Stinson On A Beach In The Mid-Atlantic
R1 DJ Stingray - Bioplastics
R2 Jensen Interceptor - Seas Of Rage
S1 Terrence Dixon - The Way I See It
S2 Nandele feat. Roberto Chitsonzo, Jr. - 42567
T1 Ectomorph - It Knows Your Name
T2 Simulant - The Purpose Of Simulation
U1 TYGAPAW - Diffusus
U2 Joey Beltram - GameForm
U3 Nene H - Only Words Break Silence
V1 FJAAK - Lovers
V2 Yazzus - Turn Of Speed
W1 Grand River - Santa Loria
W2 TV Victor - Change On
X1 Carlota - Breakfast On The Moon
X2 Torus - Deep Mid
X3 Mareena + JakoJako - 30 Perlen