Based in the UK, Marek Bartůněk is what you call “a gold digger”: as a member of our community, he shows his talent through his posts, which we noticed for linking systematically dope music. When we see his name popping up in the timeline of the group, we compulsively hit play on the track, knowing in advance that we are going to make a great discovery and experience a trippy journey. Unsurprisingly, he’s also very active in the scene, having founded two mix series that became record labels over time: he’s behind Liminal Spaces and Cellar Door, well-appreciated by the deep and hypnotic techno lovers. We are very honoured that he has accepted the challenge of the chart, and as expected, he offered us a wonderful deep selection that he commented on below:
THEMATIC SELECTION
CLASSIC
Acronym – The Eye [Northern Electronics, 2015]
Marek Bartůněk: The first time I played this track, I didn’t immediately grasp the impact that it would have on me. The emotional intensity grew with the build-up of the atmosphere, driven by the tribal beating. After listening, I remember having left my headphones with the sensation of having been hit by the masterpiece. The well-thought-out arrangement and sound design showed one more time how important Northern Electronics is for our scene.
DEEP
Ver – Shh [Sephora [ Ξ ], 2022]
Marek Bartůněk: Ver is one of the upcoming artists that have been under my radar for some time. I believe he fully understands the limits of techno and dares to go beyond. “Shh” has been released on Sephora [ Ξ ], a label closely linked to Secuencias Temporales, and is part of my favourite release from its growing catalogue. The track is built around a very deep and organic moody atmosphere, which whispers a story to my ears. Listening to this beauty on headphones is an absolute must.
MENTAL
Yuka – Deep Diffusion [Self-released, 2012]
Marek Bartůněk: “Deep Diffusion” is a transcendental piece of music for me; one of my favourites in Yuka’s discography. It’s incredibly easy to get lost in the repetition, thanks to the psychedelic sonorities and the authentic touch. The minimalist approach brings a certain purity, which arouses a deep meditative mood.
DARK
Kletis – Shimmer [Accents Records, 2022]
Marek Bartůněk: While living in the UK today, I originally come from the Czech Republic, and consider Kletis as one of the freshest producers hailing from my native country. Shaped by UK bass music and early dubstep, he covers a wide spectrum of genres and moods. With the use of modular synthesis and field recordings, he often translates his surrounding environments into music with an interesting artistic twist. “Shimmer” is an angry brain melter drowned in a psychedelic madness that completely tears my reality apart.
EXPERIMENTAL
GiGi FM – Senstronaut (MYO) [Bambe, 2022]
Marek Bartůněk: GiGi FM’s musical experimentations, innovative and adventurous, are eye-opening for me. While techno artists usually create tracks to make people dance, GiGi FM reverses the process, by basing her music on her own dance moves and gestures. Her creative process consists of using an “armband motion sensor” (MYO) to translate the movement into sounds. She then layers the individual parts in post-production to achieve the track. This very unique experimental approach is totally mind-blowing for me.
DOPE BASSLINE
The Empire Line – Ø (for Vainio) [Northern Electronics, 2018]
Marek Bartůněk: We are back to Northern Electronics with another gem. The deep bassline starts simply but its sequencing becomes quite unpredictable as the song continues. It is an unmissable element of the track and it perfectly translates its whole energy.
OLD SCHOOL
Traktor 9000 – So.weit [DIN, 1999]
Marek Bartůněk: Torsten Pröfrock has always been very enigmatic throughout his musical career. During his active years, he would release music under a large number of different aliases, purposely named to confuse anyone who would look after him. His massive influence on techno, early dubstep and the prominent bridge he built between the two genres can hardly be denied. And as he came out of nowhere, he again seemingly disappeared around the 2010s, leaving no trace of a different reincarnation of his music. “So.weit” is probably the most musical piece credited to him, and yet it keeps surprising me with its simplicity and daring.
TO START A MIX
DÓNIS – II [DANGUS, 2021]
Marek Bartůněk: This track is for me an absolute mood setter, that may nicely open a psychedelic or tribal mix. DÓNIS’ whistle, beautifully valued in the ambient layers, was sculpted around 1978 by Lithuanian artist Antans Mončys. If the sculptor uses clay, stone or wood to create his piece of art, the musician uses sounds to paint the musical picture, the DJ uses tracks to sculpt music. Hence “II” is not only a great starting point for an interesting mix, but it also has a deep connection to the whole mixing techniques.
FOR THE PEAK TIME
Anmon – Phare [YUKU, 2021]
Marek Bartůněk: YUKU is also a project from my native country; a record store and label based in Prague, which signed the French duo Anmon last year. “Phare” is a heavy, fast-paced dancefloor destroyer that takes no prisoner. The urgent-sounding synths add a mesmerising intensity to the overall darkness and monstrosity of the whole track. I would not recommend playing this tune during your traditional Sunday BBQ with the family…
BONUS – TOPIC BROUGHT BY OUR GUEST
A SPECIAL TRACK
Âsan – GULP [CELLAR DOOR RECORDS, 2021]
Marek Bartůněk: Launching a record label has been one of the most important milestones in my life. It took me a while to convince myself to start such a project, but when I got these demos sent, I knew that they would perfectly set the tone of Cellar Door. With “Gulp”, the repetition is crushed under the heaviness of the sound design, with each spiral sitting exactly where it should be. This release also started a very fruitful friendship with Âsan, who became my right-hand man in the management of the label.
WRITING BY: MAREK BARTUNEK & CEDRIC FINKBEINER | 22 SEPTEMBER 2022
