My Podcast: The Holmes Archive of Electronic Music
In the previous episode we spoke with musician Bernard Farley about the origins of techno music by black artists. His website, Black Techno Matters, is a great resource for discovering artists who have defined and continue to explore black techno music. I invite you to listen to that podcast to learn more about black techno and the resources that Bernard has assembled on their website. Links to the Black Techno Matters website and Spotify playlist called Blackness if Revolutionary are included in the notes on the website for this podcast.
For this episode, I have put together a playlist of exceptional experimental black techno music. This selection ranges from the danceable to the sonically beautiful, to ambient and abstract sounds, all created by black artists. We closed this episode with a sequence of tracks from Jeff Mills and his album from 2020 called The Universe: Galaxy 1, one of a series of space-themed concept albums that he’s been producing for several years.
A playlist for the podcast is below. I invite you to listen.
Episode 76
More Black Techno Matters
Playlist
1. Drexciya, “Digital Tsunami” from Harnessed The Storm (2002 Tresor). “Filtered through dimensional waves by Drexciya.”
2. Drexciya, “Aquatic Cataclysm” from Harnessed The Storm (2002 Tresor). “Filtered through dimensional waves by Drexciya.”
3. Green Velvet, “Sleepwalking” from Whatever (2001 Music Man Records). Produced, programmed, and written by Green Velvet.
4. Jlin, “Black Origami” from Black Origami (2017 Planet Mu). Produced by Jerrilynn Patton. Gary, Indiana.
5. 3MB Featuring 'Magic' Juan Atkins, “Die Kosmischen Kuriere” from 3MB Feat. Magic Juan Atkins E.P. (1993 NovaMute). Producer, written and mixed by Juan Atkins, Moritz von Oswald, Thomas Fehlmann.
6. Loraine James, “Let’s Go” from Reflection (2021 Hyperdub). Produced by Loraine James.
7. K. Hand, “Calling” from Intuition EP (2015 Acacia). Detroit. Produced, written, and arranged by K. Hand.
8. Loraine James, “Loll” from Detail (2017 Fu Inle Records). Produced by Loraine James.
9. K. Hand, “Everybody (Tommy Largo Remix)” from Intuition EP (2015 Acacia). Detroit. Produced, written, and arranged by K. Hand.
10.K.Hand, “Aquatics” from Hot Steel. (2020 Trip Recordings). Produced, written, and arranged by K. Hand (Kelli Maria Hand). This was the result of receiving an invite from musician Nina Kraviz who sent out a call to artists to stream one of their unreleased works; all genres are welcome. After the stream took place, the favourite tracks were signed to produce the Hot Steel release. Available on Bandcamp.
11.LTJ Bukem, “Rainfall” from Raw Music Material - Electronic Music DJs Today (2002 Not on Label). Composed, played, and mixed by LTJ Bukem.
12.Robert Hood. “Kick Dirt” from Raw Music Material - Electronic Music DJs Today (2002 Not on Label). Music by Robert Hood.
13.Robert Hood. “Parade” from Internal Empire (1994 Tresor). Detroit. Music by Robert Hood.
14.Scan 7, “Dark Corridor” from Dark Territory (1996 Tresor). Scan 7 a collective of Detroit techno artists, led by Lou Robinson and including DJ Red Line.
15.Scan 7, “Dark Territory” from Dark Territory (1996 Tresor). Scan 7 a collective of Detroit techno artists, led by Lou Robinson and including DJ Red Line.
16.Venus Ex Machina, “Blood Moon (Solar Mix)” from Lux. (2021 AD93). Ex Machina is a composer, sound designer and interdisciplinary artist based in the UK.
17.Venus Ex Machina, “Mysterium ” from Lux. (2021 AD93). Venus Ex Machina is a composer, sound designer and interdisciplinary artist based in the UK.
18.Venus Ex Machina, “Quaraquara” from Lux. (2021 AD93). Venus Ex Machina is a composer, sound designer and interdisciplinary artist based in the UK.
19.Jeff Mills, “IOK-1” from The Universe: Galaxy 1 (2022 Axis). Written, performed, and produced by Jeff Mills.
20. Jeff Mills, “IOK-4” from The Universe: Galaxy 1 (2022 Axis). Written, performed, and produced by Jeff Mills.
21.Jeff Mills, “The Speed Of Light” from The Universe: Galaxy 1 (2022 Axis). Written, performed, and produced by Jeff Mills.
22.Jeff Mills, “Canis Major Overdensity” from The Universe: Galaxy 1 (2022 Axis). Written, performed, and produced by Jeff Mills.
Opening background music: Jeff Mills, “Spider Formation” from The Other Day (1997 Axis). Written, performed, and produced by Jeff Mills.
Connect with Black Techno Matters and Bernard Farley.
Listen to the Blackness is Revolutionary playlist on Spotify. As of this podcast, this playlist curated by Bernard Farley features more than 1,100 techno tracks by black artists.
Opening and closing sequences voiced by Anne Benkovitz.
Additional opening, closing, and other incidental music by Thom Holmes.
