Lionel Weets - Stellar Orchestra

Motech: 2014

Well, look at that, another Motech album. How did that slip by? Must have put it in a different 'to review' pile than the 'to review' pile that had all the other Motech releases. Why yes, I have many 'to review' piles going at the same time, is that so weird?

Belgian Lionel Weets started out making thumping techno as MGMX, releasing several singles across several labels. If Lord Discogs is anything to go by (and it usually is), these didn't catch on in any major way. Undeterred, Lionel pursued his musical interests towards a more Detroit-based sound, leading him to a debut album on Motech, this here Stellar Orchestra. His Discoggian info dries up after that, save a lone collaborative single in 2017. Uh, wha' happened? Did this album not meet expectations, causing a crises of musical faith? Not enough bills getting paid to continue on this path? Another case of Lord Discogs missing massive updates on particular artists just because no one's been keeping tabs on Bandcamp pages?

Okay, before I hype this record up more than it probably deserves, I'll say straight up that what Lionel is doing here isn't revolutionary. Indeed, you'll hear plenty of sonic markers that'll have you remembering Detroit techno anthems of yesteryear, Mr. Weets laying his influences naked and bare for all to hear. The Strings Of Life strings, the Plastic Dreams organ licks, the Man With The Red Face saxophone action. Even the... Pump Up The Jam synth stabs? Well, Technotronic was also Belgian, so I guess you had to give some nods there. Come to think of it, Jaydee is Dutch, and Laurent Garnier is French. Are we certain Lionel Weets is doing a strict Detroit thing here?

Yeah, I'm pretty certain. This is definitely tech-house as inspired by the Motor City, and though the rhythms are mostly straight-forward, they have more than enough beef to carry things forward. It's all about whatever melodies Lionel comes up with anyway, and what instrument he uses for a lead in a given track. The first few mostly rely on those archaic string samples we all associate with early Detroit techno, but I'll take Mr. Weets' use of them over hearing Strings Of Life ever again. Elsewhere we get pianos (Don't Follow Me, I Am Lost, Alien Opera), organs (The Night Is Ours), saxophone (Not Today) or synths (Rise Of The Dragons, Different Ways To Paradise). And hey, just to show it's not a total Detroit fest, here's a little garage action with Through The Universe. Oh yeah, that's some shuffle rhythm there!

What amazed me the most about this album is how well it flowed. Yeah, the tracks all abruptly stop, but they also don't waste time when starting up either, getting right into the action again. And once another fun solo breaks out, you're all in for the ride. All solid stuff, and astounding to me that Mr. Weets apparently didn't do much after this.

DJ 3000 - Besa

Motech: 2013

This is the last of the six-CD bundle I got from Motech's Bandcamp, though not the album I thought I'd yet to write about. Okay, DJ 3000's Besa was in that collection too, but what I mean is there was another disc I thought was supposed to be in there, Lionel Weets' Stellar Orchestra. Indeed, it's in the bundle's list of albums, but for some reason, I was sent Galactic Caravan instead. At least, I think that's what happened? It's been so long now. Did I maybe get it, but somehow lost it before I could do a rip of it? No, I wouldn't have done that, no way no how (no... way... *twitch-twitch*). And it's not like I can verify it through Bandcamp, since those CD bundles don't include the download with your purchase. If it did, my Bandcamp collection would be nearly double its size from Cyro Chamber releases alone!

Also, I kinda' forgot about this one, or had it so far in the back of my mind that it never occurred to me that I'd be reviewing Besa as well as Sälis. Maybe I wouldn't have burned through so much detailing of both albums in the Sälis review if I had, but then I never did get around to listening to this one either. Or if I did, I totally forgot about it until now. It all goes back to that 'all you can eat buffet smoothie' experience of digesting these CD-bundle purchases. C'mon, that was a great analogy, no way I wasn't gonna' use it again!

Honestly though, I just don't think Besa is as good of any album as the other two I've heard from DJ 3000. There are good tracks on here, but that's generally all they come across as: tracks. Not even 'peak-hour' tracks either, but those tunes that lead-up to the peak-hour tracks. Say, one or two before, but not necessarily the warm-up ones either. They're just so darn loopy, is the issue, which is kinda' the point of tech-house such as this. Work that groove, work that vibe, then move onto the next track. There are little builds within them too, but they don't really explode or put an exclamation point on whatever's been introduced earlier. I'm hesitant to say they flatline, since that suggests there's no pulse in these jams, but I never feel like I'm going anywhere while listening to Besa as a whole. Galactic Caravan had remarkable vitality and sense of journey (hence why I went and checked for more from Mr. Juncaj), while Sälis showcased enough variety for an engaging listen throughout.

Can't really say the same about Besa though. Yeah, some tracks are peppier than others, while a few more highlight DJ 3000's nifty use of ethnic drumming. Yet they're all structured relatively the same, not even room for a breakbeat or downtempo cut until the very last one. You'd think this was just a singles compilation, which is funny considering that's what Sälis technically was.

DJ 3000 - Sälis

Motech: 2013

I've talked plenty about Motech now (CD bundle purchases help), but it's been a long while since I've gotten back to the man who started it all, Franki Juncaj, in more ways than one. Mr. 3000 was my introduction to Motech, and though I never really followed up on Galactic Caravan until way later, it seems fate (or self-imposed alphabetical constraints) has denied me the chance to return to his musical output. At least until I've given some of his label mates a little shine first. This isn't the last of my Motech material though, another release lurking somewhere along the line. Damned if I can remember what it was.

Have I mentioned buying so many bulk deals in, erm, bulk binges is highly counter-intuitive to actually digesting so much substance in single sittings? It'd be like going to an all-you-can-eat buffet and grabbing one sampling of everything, but putting it all into a blender and slurping it down as some bizarre smoothie concoction. Sure, you've now technically sampled everything, but it's all mushed together into one singular taste. Okay, maybe it's not like that, but damn, what an analogy, eh?

Anyhow, Sälis was the album DJ 3000 released a few years after following Galactic Caravan. Or was that Besa? Both were released the same year, and some promo around the time claimed Sälis was instead a compilation of various digital releases. Sifting through Lord Discogs' database, however, reveals most of these tracks are unique to Sälis alone, save three cuts off the Moroccan Mint Tea EP. Sälis did initially have a Japan-only release, so perhaps it was intended as a compilation for that market, but wound up being a regular ol' album after the fact? Who knows at this point, doubt it matters half a decade on.

What I do know for sure is Sälis was produced when Franki returned to Detroit after some time spent in Europe. Being back in the techno mecca rekindled his faltering muse, from which the album takes its namesake (solace, so to speak). That chiller mindset resulted in an LP that's not quite so dynamic and boisterous as Galactic Caravan, but has its fair amount of choice ethnically-tinged tech-house on offer too. Tracks like Fade Away and Gateway To Mumbai throw in the requisite tribal rhythms, chants, and desert harmonies, while tunes like Shota and Lutë are more subtle about it, letting the Detroit vibe override anything ethnic.

And though there are plenty of uptempo, peak-hour tech-house tunes on offer, DJ 3000 tends to go deeper throughout, treading into the domain of deep-tech, but good! Like, obviously it would be, no European monotony in this Detroit alum's veins. I'd almost fit this with the same style of deep house/tech as whatever Dirtybird often churns out, though less silly about it. Overall, perhaps not the best starting point for folks getting into DJ 3000 – I still rate Galactic Caravan above this - but a worthy album/compilation/whatever from the man behind Motech.

Subotika - Panonija

Motech: 2014

Just how Detroit must an artist be if they are considered Detroit techno? The easy, obvious answer is they must be from Detroit to be considered Detroit techno, and for nearly two decades, that was probably acceptable. No matter how much producers from the U.K., Germany, or Japan emulate the sounds of Motor City, they always bring with them distinct accents to the genre. The societal flattening of our globe, however, has made these lines ever more blurry. Are Detroit transplants making better bucks in the clubs of Berlin still Detroit techno? Could someone move to Detroit, and thus be considered Detroit techno thereafter? And if so, is there a gestation period before they're considered true-blood Detroit? How long would such a gestation period be? One year? Five? More than half one's life?

And then we get into Motech, run by DJ 3000, who most certainly is from Detroit, thus is considered true-blue Detroit techno (or more often, Detroit tech-house). This, despite lending his ear towards the Middle East, giving his tunes a wordly bounce so often lacking in Detroit's future-funk aspirations. The label has taken things a step further with Subotika, a Serbian DJ, and clearly half a globe away from Detroit. Yet here he is with a debut album on a Detroit label, making Detroit techno. Is this enough to be accepted by the staunch Detroit techno purists? Or did they even notice, their heads so far up their rectums they can barely tell the derelict neighbourhoods from the abandoned warehouses? (ugh, not as catchy a phrase as 'forest from trees', is it?)

So the question should be not how Detroit Subotika sound, but how much Serbian influence they bring to the Detroit aesthetic. And to that, one must ask what even Serbian techno sounds like? I honestly have no idea, the closest frame of reference the string of Romanian minimal-tech that brought that scene to new levels of... well, not dryness or sterility, the Germans remaining kings at that. Doesn't matter, as I don't hear much of that in Panonija anyway. A lone track, I'll Be Your, is about the extent of monotonous loopy minimalism we hear on this LP, and as but one cut out of eleven, I'll take that ratio any day. (Fractal a little too, but I like them pads so it gets a pass)

For the most part though, this is about as Detroit techno as you can expect out of a Motech release (do folks expect much from Motech? Are they big players in the Detroit landscape? Must pilgrimage to investigate further). Prozivka supplies some tribalism to the proceedings, Club Door and Evolving the speedy highway vibe (there needs to be an official Detroit techno 'outrun' micro-genre), with various other tracks flitting from dubby thump (From Afar) to simmering space funk (Ronin, Folklore). Can't fault much of what I hear, is what I say, Detroit purism be damned. Still, a little extra Serbian flavour could have helped this stand out more.

P-Ben - Influence

Motech: 2015

I do wonder how 'made' some producers and DJs feel throughout their career. Like, obviously releasing anything with some modicum of success is an achievement in itself, but how high do they set the bar for themselves? When Benjamin Geelen first set out on his techno journey, did he have aspirations to be recognized by the music's Mecca, or just be satisfied with any ol' fame in France? I almost have to suspect the former, and not just because his Discoggian bio name-drops a Jeff Mills set as a catalyst in Mr. Geelen pursuing this particular path of electronic music.

When it comes to European techno, there's generally been two, maybe three, distinct camps that, while finding some heritage from Detroit, are clearly striding out in their own fashion. You'd expect a chap from France would hitch his wagon to the Berliners or Italians (French techno? What is this?), but never underestimate that Detroit allure. Sure, a few early P-Ben singles couldn't help but ride that Berghain minimal bandwagon, but he found room for the more vibrant, soulful tech-house sounds originating from the Michigan city too. After flitting about various European labels (including setting up a couple of his own), Mr. Geelen landed a few remixing gigs for Kevin Saunderson's KMS print. Shortly after, he released this debut album with Motech, and the journey for Detroit recognition was complete. Nothing left to do but bask in the adulation of techno snobbery.

Thing is, I can't help but feel P-Ben's adhered to the Detroit legacy all a little too closely with Influence. There's little I hear that I can fault, but equally little I can recommend for those who don't want more of the same. Which has always been Detroit techno's crutch and its curse, hasn't it? An identifiable style that inspires many, with remarkable room for personal creativity should one indulge it, but insanely strict in keeping things within the boundaries of what it deems pure and true. Some claim Detroit techno can't even be Detroit techno unless it's made by someone from Detroit. Does that include those from Detroit who moved to Berlin, or vice-versa then?

Anyhow, P-Ben takes us through ten tracks of various strains of techno, most of which wouldn't sound out of place at any number of DEMF parties. Fifteen Years There Was Bones, From A South Place, and July touches on the groovier, future-funkier stuff. Good News and Ultimate get more on that bangin' action, though the track Bang surprisingly doesn't; nay, that one goes dubbier, as does Good News. Elsewhere, Analog Trip and Another Way strut the Jeff Mills minimalism, while Old Soul Music and This Song Is The Way offers a couple peak-time anthem options, including a 'house sermon' in the latter. So yeah, all the bases touched, with nary a duff cut among the lot. Just, y'know, coming off serviceable and straight-forward as well, a collection of techno tools for the Detroit faithful. And that's fine, really it is. It's fine.

DJ 3000 - "Diligence" Mix

Motech: 2009

This is the bonus disc included with DJ 3000's Galactic Caravan album, which I reviewed nine years ago, and also did an Update Review six years ago. Why, then, did I not mention it in either of those write-ups? Complete and utter mental burn-out in the case of the former, that album the last I wrote for TranceCritic before essentially hanging it for good (I got better). As for the latter case, I didn't have an actual hard copy of Galactic Caravan at the time, so never knew of the bonus CD's existence. Check that: Lord Discogs did tell me there was one, but the not-so-proper MP3 copy I'd gotten for review way back when didn't include it, thus I was in no position to discuss something not in my possession. Which, erm, could have been said for a lot of those MP3 rips I acquired for review in the TranceCritic days, but like Hell I could have afforded them all. Had to cut costs somehow.

However, upon indulging myself on a Motech Bandcamp bulk deal, DJ 3000's Galactic Caravan was included in the package. Hey, cool, I can finally have a real copy of the album for my CD shelves (as, um, I should have way back when). Do I really need to do another review/update of it though? No, no I don't, but there's that bonus CD I could wax a few hundred words over. Look at all those additional artists I can talk up: Underground Resistance, Nomadico, Subotika, DJ P-Ben, DJ Compufunk, DJ Dex, DJ Bone. Huh, weird. Usually whenever I see that many “DJ”s in a tracklist, it from a bargain bin knock-off compilation, with names changed from original artists, or one dude running under a zillion aliases. Total coincidence here, I'm sure.

Anyhow, opening track Orbit from DJ Compufunk is definitely some vintage Detroit future-funk. The mix into Los Hermanos' Dazed And Deceived wasn't the smoothest though, its thumping tribal rhythms clashing out of key with Orbit. And oh dear, why is DJ 3000 riding this mix so long? And by the time Dazed And Deceived has settled into its own groove, we're into another rough transition in P-Ben's Believer. Some dope Detroit tech-house tuneage from there, but dear Lord, are these mixes ever rough. What is this, some freebie mix that's only meant as a promotional item and not intended for critical analysis? Oh, it is. Guess that means I'm going about this totally wrong, aren't I?

Yeah, I ain't 'reviewing' this as a DJ set anymore. I mean, it'd have been dope if this was a real-proper commercial set or something, but it's quite clear that's not the point, Diligence little more than a fun bonus, like mixtapes of old, handed out at underground shows. I honestly found it a better listen the less I paid attention to it, generally humming in the background while doing other stuff, critical switch flipped off. Stupid Ableton era's ruined the 'rough mixtape' mystique, hasn't it?

Gary Martin - Escape From South Warren

Motech: 2015

Sometimes I think I know just how deep the Detroit talent well goes, then I come across a guy like Gary Martin and his Teknotika Records. Dude's been active since the early '90s, and if his name was ever name-dropped among that Second Generation of Detroit talents (you know who), I totally missed it. Nor have I seen his aliases of Gigi Galaxy and Mole People. The lone track of his I have appeared on Rub 'n Tug's contribution to the fabric series, plus a remix on DJ 3000's Galactic Caravan. In fact, the only reason I got this album is because it came bundled with a Motech Bandcamp deal. I could easily have gone on living in ignorance of the man had he not added to the Motech catalog. Maybe I'd have stumbled upon Gigi Galaxy, if I'd kept dedicated tabs on Eye Q, but still, pretty sad on my part that it's taken so long for me to actually 'discover' Gary Martin. Needs a more eye-grabbing name.

I fixture of Detroit's scene he is though, and one that carved a tidy little niche for himself at that. When many of his peers prided themselves on techno purity and such, Mr. Martin saw no qualms in infusing aspects of diva house, Afro funk, and Latin soul into the mix. Heck, some of his earliest singles thread the line between house and techno in much the same way classics like Inner City's Big Life did, and as time went on, the tribal-techno vibes grew ever more prevalent. Well gosh, tribal-techno sounds right up my alley, so why have I not heard of this guy before? Must be one of those 'doesn't license his tracks out for DJ mixes' Detroit purity factors. They can be stingy about such things.

As can be expected of a Detroit techno guy, Gary's released a pile of singles and EPs over the years, but has generally shied away from the album format. There was Viva La Difference in 2002, Mole People 5 in 2007, and finally this here Escape From South Warren from 2015. Oh, and Another Place, though that was more a DJ mix compilation of his stuff up to that point. And honestly, probably a better starting point into Gary Martin's work than Escape From South Warren. Not that this album is without merit. I just feel I'm not getting a proper sampling of what's made him a lasting veteran within Detroit's scene here.

For sure there's plenty of variety. The 'sermon house' track in We Get Down. The squiggly acid tech-house option in My Medicine. The deep 'n soulful cut in I Don't Know Why (ah, the Detroit saxophone, my favourite saxophone). The steady tension builder in Stellar Caravan. The broken funk wonk of Eastward Course (oh God, where's that rhythm come from; I know it from somewhere!). All serviceable tracks, these are. After hearing some of his older stuff though, I can't help but miss the thrilling tribal tempos of yore.

DJ 3000 - Galactic Caravan (2013 Update)

Motech: 2009

(Click here to read my original TranceCritic review.)

Man, was I ever at the end of my wick when I wrote that review three years ago. It’s barely longer than what I impose upon myself now. I’d basically given up even trying to review new material by that point, so it’s surprising Galactic Caravan caught my attention enough to manage such a comparatively short review for TranceCritic by my standards. Guess hearing strong, straight-forward tech-house was such a breath of fresh air back then, I felt the album deserved whatever props it could get, even if on a soon-to-be-dead website.

Sadly, in writing such an unintentionally short review, I left out some other tidbits of info (or I just couldn’t be bothered to research further). For instance, the name DJ 3000 itself. Did you know that Frank Juncaj took the name from a Simpsons episode, the one where those idiot radio DJs who refuse to give Bart an elephant prize are threatened to be replaced by a similarly named machine. The DJ 3000 was such a technologically advanced contraption that it could reproduce any and all necessary inane jock-talk. Then again, maybe Mr. Juncaj just came up with it on the fly, but it was funny noticing it when I recently watched that episode again.

Another thing I’m surprised I neglected to mention was how the tracks on Galactic Caravan at times remind me of good ol’ Banco de Gaia, what with that bouncy, Middle Eastern vibe running through. Obviously not exactly alike, but enough that a namedrop wouldn’t have been out of place for yours truly, despite Marks and Juncaj being of totally disparate scenes. Festival hippies and Detroit head-bobbers, all joined in unison under one tent. Yeah, that’d be a kick-ass show. Talvin Singh can open.

That’s all I got. Yeah, nothing revolutionary or insightful to be found with this 2013 Update. Ain’t a whole lot more I can add, except the perfunctory “why this no more well-known?” complaint for ethnic-fusion tech-house. Juncaj hasn’t released any DJ 3000 follow-ups to Galactic Caravan in the LP form, though a smattering of singles came out on start-up label Contuse last year; compared to the blistering rate of mid-‘00s Motech material though, it’s almost as though ol’ Frank’s decided stepping back from the hustle of underground music business was a wiser course of action. Shame if he’d think thus, as he’s got a solid, unique sound that still has untapped potential.

Look, I know I’m rambling at this point. Too many morning shifts have rendered my sleeping habits utterly wonk, and while I can still muddle through half-decent reviews with fresh material (ooh, that Nine Inch Nails double-CD came in!), coming up with anything meaningful for a full 2013 Update on such a recent-but-unknown release is nigh impossible. I actually initially fooled myself into thinking I’d get away with a simple two-paragraph blurb, forgetting I’d written and uploaded a proper(ish) review here back when. Have I reached my quota yet? Close enough.

DJ 3000 - Galactic Caravan

Motech: Cat. # UGCDMT 004 

Released March 2010 

 Track List: 

1. Flamuri I Popullit (4:45) 

2. Meridian (5:45) 

3. Heritage featuring Esteban Adame (5:55) 

4. Coat Of Arms (4:55) 

5. Darjeeling Sun (5:03) 

6. Yrwehear (5:54) 

7. Emotional Sequence (5:34) 

8. Meloudic Landscapes (6:10)

 9. Seven Tribes Of Hoti (4:23) 

10. Penny For Your Thoughts (4:11) 

11. Midnight Express featuring Esteban Adame (5:02) 

12. Her Smile (5:02)

13. Memory Almost Full (5:26) 

14. Day Dreaming (2:43) 

IN BRIEF: Makes me get my strut on. 

House music. Just good ol’ fashioned house music. A smooth groove, a catchy hook, and turning a stiff nose away from gimmicks of the day. No drunk-dumb stomp, white noise wash, fart-squirt bass, skank-ass screech, navel-lint glitch, or anything else like that. Just good ol’ fashioned house music. 

Alright, so perhaps that’s embellishing things a bit. Truthfully Frank Juncaj is lumped into the tech-house branch of things, but he’s something of a traditionalist in this field. His sound has that timeless quality to it the best tech-house does, of always being on the fringe of futuristic funk without getting bogged down in the scenery. It’s the backing soundtrack to many a late-night drive through neo-Tokyo in search of a 24-hour noodle shop after a hearty round of the clubs. He shares a sonic palette with the likes of Timewriter, Tripwire, and other similarly named tech-house producers starting with “T” (are there any others?). 

And he’s good at what he does, even if he doesn’t get the same kind of recognition other Detroit natives do. Going by the name DJ 3000, he’s released numerous records on his own Motech label (a sub-label of Submerge, which is mostly famous for a couple Drexciya albums), and made a tidy career out of producing classy, (proper) electro-tinged tech-house over the past decade. Now with his third full-length album, the cool-groove vibes carry on as usual, with nary a misstep along the way. 

Of course, an album of good tech-house can be dull if it’s only tech-house, thus Juncaj has spiced his album up with a few, er, spices of the Middle East. It’s about the closest to a currently-trendy jump he’s made, taking ‘ethno’ influences for a few tracks, most notably opener Flamuri I Popullit and follow-up Meridian; the former gives us an instantly catchy hook, while the latter mostly features chants complementing hypnotic rhythms. For an album titled Galactic Caravan, they make sense thematically, and it’s odd that Juncaj pretty much drops it for the rest of the album (track titles notwithstanding). 

By the time we do get another track of this sort - yet another catchy hook courtesy of Midnight Express - I’ve practically forgotten there was an attempt at a theme in the first place. Such is the strength of the rest of the tech-house tunes though. Wisely, Juncaj also spaces his album out with a few diversions of the Detroit sound along the way: a bit of techno-stomp in Darjeeling Sun; the obligatory, classy mid-album downtempo cut with Yrwehear, a touch of deep groove with Her Smile, swagger funk in Penny For Your Thoughts, and even what appears to be a live recording for closer Day Dreaming. 

Yep, Galactic Caravan is an all-round solid album. So why just a ‘mere’ 7/10 then? Oh, you know: nothing really fresh here, it’s still mostly just tech-house, etc. Obviously, fans of this genre are going to love the album, and even casual connoisseurs will enjoy it (*cough*). Yet dance music’s discography is filled with options for this genre, and though Juncaj brings undeniable quality, so do several others. Galactic Caravan is a fine pick-up if you are in need of a little more groove in your life, just not an immediately necessary one. 

Score: 7/10 

ACE TRACKS: 

Heritage 

Emotional Sequence 

Midnight Express 

Written by Sykonee, 2010, for Electronic Music Critic. © All rights reserved.