Repitch founders Ascion, Carbone, and Shapednoise demonstrate this on their track “Mastice Riddim (VIP Mix)”, an irresistibly danceable groove featuring both classic funk instrumentation and contemporary R&B vibrations.
Other contributors expand the palette with dubstep, new beat, and acid frontalism-infused music – showing a collective approach to production.
Ascion
Conceptual electronic music may borrow its rhythmic elements from club music, but its goal isn’t to fill dancefloors; its purpose is to provoke an emotional response in listeners that resonates throughout their bodies. Artists such as Ascion, Non Worldwide and Chino Amobi embody this idea with music that bridges contemporary dance music genres with noise industrial and musique concrete music genres.
Another characteristic shared by these artists is an apocalyptic theatricality in both their vocal production and visual aesthetics, making these artists performers as much as producers. Their voices and faces offer a welcome counterpoint to the disembodied style typical of most techno and acid house. Over the past five years, their work has become more political, reflecting real world concerns such as inequality and precarious labor as well as global trends towards populist authoritarianism and xenophobia that has recently gripped society – their art providing an outlet.
Carbone
DySFUNCTIONAL masterfully blends parts from different genres into an alluring sound, featuring pulsing beats and airy melodies that will transport you to another realm. Their music is expressive and emotive, prompting feelings from elation to reflection in its listeners.
Carbone occupies the former site of Rocco’s, an historic 90-year-old restaurant where Dean Martin would croon over its speakers and waiters would wear tuxedos. Our team has carefully recreated that atmosphere through period doo-wop soundtrack and an exact replica of their sign outside their doorway.
REPITCH Recordings co-founders Ascion, Carbone, and Pedone have assembled a compilation to mark their label’s 10th anniversary titled “Dys Functional Electronic Music X“. It displays their dedication to expanding club music’s horizons; featuring Shapednoise, Gabber Eleganza and more – this compilation serves as testament to REPITCH Recordings’ ethos and showcases their collective’s collective strength.
Shapednoise
Shapednoise, the Sicilian producer Nino Pedone’s moniker under which his music is released, seems as though it will explode any moment. Transplanting musical styles with surgical precision but imbuing them with an aura of danger – be it exploring beatless outworld landscapes on “Travels in the Universe of Soul,” or engaging all senses with its pulverizing bass and piercing noise on “Heart Energy Shape.”
On his fourth album Aesthesis, Axiz has created a genre-warping blend of urgent rap and crushing bass weight that also takes full advantage of dance floor beats with rough kicks and tense percussion for maximum dance floor potential. His title refers to both body and mind dualism while at the same time exploring ways to bridge four-on-the-floor techno with hard industrial noise music, making this collection his most focused work to date.
Drvg Cvltvre
Vincent Koreman aka Drvg Cvltvre is an incredibly prolific producer who creates techno, electro and acid jams at an astounding pace with strong hardware credentials. Aside from releasing through his New York Haunted label, Koreman’s music can also be found on Pinkman Records Viewlexx Shipwrec Permanent Vacation etc.
After two releases for Viewlexx and COS_MOS offshoot label, Dutch producer K-Trak’s four track EP offers hard edge machine music featuring minimal zaps, staccato bass sequences, and big walls of synth to get you going. He comes from a DIY punk background; thus this work drips with dystopian dread that could bring about a new dark age if played loud enough! Stream it here below.
The Exaltics
Repitch Records of Berlin have recently released Dysfunctional Electronic Music x, their fifth anniversary celebration album. This title belies its content which often deviates from convention and distain for club functionalism.
This album presents a wide variety of sci-fi techno tracks that explore distant atmospheres and alienating techno beats, along with more melodic sections than Tormented and superior production quality.
Shapednoise’s “Mastice Riddim (VIP Mix),” proves that Shapednoise’s founders are equally motivated to expand the scope of dance music as they are to fill dancefloors. Other stand-outs from AnD, Sote and Pinch & the Zenker Brothers’ dub-infused atmospherics as well as Skudge’s deep basslines make this album essential listening for modern techno fans. All in all, this album should become essential listening experience.
AnD
Functional music refers to any piece of music which enhances or optimizes daily activities such as reading, running or sleeping. This subcategory of music listening has become one of the fastest growing worldwide and provides artists an opportunity to rethink and expand their work.
Planet Mu’s Treanor, also known by his moniker ATAXIA, takes this concept to heart with his new LP. Over its nine tracks, Treanor showcases that his interest in finding an equilibrium between functional and dysfunctional sounds fits equally well as dance floor fillers or album formats. A stellar lineup of producers join him, including Ascion Carbone Shapednoise of 3 REPITCH to help achieve that end.
Sote
Repitch Records stands out with an unconventional title and defies traditional club functionalism. Their 10 tracks demonstrate Ascion, Carbone and Shapednoise remain as passionate about expanding dancefloor music’s boundaries today as they did ten years ago.
Dys Functional Electronic Music X features an outstanding lineup, including Pedone, Buttechno and MarcelDune, that presents an impressive variety of new material. Ranging from The Exaltics’ dark breakbeats to Sote’s fractured rave sounds – their varied styles speak to one shared spirit: experimentation without compromise. A fitting tribute to Dys Functional Electronic Music’s first five years! Dys Functional Electronic Music X can now be purchased both physically on vinyl as well as digital formats.
Pinch
Pinch is one of Ableton’s original certified trainers and an accomplished modular synthesizer who’s equally comfortable performing at clubs or studios. A regular workshop leader at Berlin’s premier venues, Pinch also understands how best to harness production technology for artistic creativity.
Back in the 2000s, French EDM duo Justice revolutionised EDM with its blend of disco and Euro-trash sounds – turning both into infectious tracks that made Daft Punk seem like folkie wallflowers. From dropping Psycho strings over lunging Jaws bass to using kiddie choir and beat scientifically proven to lower your IQ by five-to-ten points – Justice created soundscapes that brought the future closer than ever – almost touchable!
Zenker Brothers
Dario and Marco Zenker have been working together since they were teenagers. Over time they’ve amassed an extensive catalog of work for labels like Tresor and 50 Weapons while simultaneously building Ilian Tape as their own label.
Their most recent collaboration, Namuan, features Berlin techno king Marcel Dettmann as an eight-track split single. A perfect example of their signature blend of 90s rooted tool techno with vibrant clap-grooves.
Cristina Plett spoke with them about the significance of spirituality in their music and how they run their label, not only as business but for longer-term gain as well. Their message seems relevant given our current global climate of fear and uncertainty – not simply the bottom line.
Skudge
There is an innate musical thread running throughout the city, from inner city creatives and clubs on the outskirts, to that well-known label with a capital S founded nearby, that creates an incredible musical tapestry that spans decades and genres alike. Repitch has utilized this strength in their Dys Functional Electronic Music X compilation showcasing releases by Shapednoise, Ascione Carbone AnD & Gaja as well as their extended circle of peers – the latter of whom featured on Dys Functional Electronic Music X alongside their peers from across their label regulars Shapednoise Ascione Carbone AnD & Gaja.