On this week’s Unsung Heroes, we take a look at the brilliant Techno group, Psycatron. Hailing from Ireland, these two have silently been releasing tracks on many labels and have been noted as having a distinct, three-way sound between the German, Detroit and Irish schools of Techno. They have been behind the scenes in many infamous labels such as Sven Vath‘s Cocoon, Carl Craig‘s Planet E Communications and more throughout their tenure in the Belfast Techno scene. After pulling through towards the Detroit sound with their Deeper Shades EP (which stayed in the Beatport Techno Top 20 for 6 weeks), they ventured towards Brazil with the more harder, driven music of Christian Smith‘s label, Tronic. The release was a dual EP with Directions and two mixes of Tipping Point, which received great airtime from people such as John Digweed, David Clarke and Dubfire. While the Delusions of 315 Mix is geared more towards a blast to the past with the classic, old school Techno, the 3AM Left Front Speaker Mix is brooding Techno at its finest with primetime percussion and grooving drive to crush many a dance floor.
Tipping Point starts with unorthodox rhythms and unusual percussion with a sinister whine sneaking in throughout the musical setting. An evil synth joins the ensemble while a dark, industrial wood block takes over the main hook of the piece. While many of these elements may sound strange at first, Psycatron has intricately pieced each sound together to give us a jungle-esque sense of rhythm and groove while still maintaining that essential Techno vibe. This becomes even more evident when a fantastic hi-hat and adjoining snare drum enters the soundscape of the track. The breakdown brings back the evil synth while whines and moans sneak through the texture (with great white noise work to boot). While slightly melodic in structure, the feel of the breakdown into the drop is one of conflicting actions between music and noise while keeping the entirety of the piece’s identity in check. All in all, Psycatron have created a beautiful arrangement of sounds and rhythms that has its own unique feel and atmosphere, giving it a nice breath of fresh air in any Techno set.
As stated above, Tipping Point isn’t your run of the mill Techno track. This swirling blend of Tribal, Techno and swaths of melodies is a completely different beast on its own and has cemented Psycatron as a duo who play the game of production their own way and in their own creative processes, rather than one who follows the latest trends. Their main influences have been Depeche Mode and Kraftwerk, and while they are not necessarily Techno; their innovation and their tendencies to bring forth music ahead of their time that have surely passed through their own productions. In fact, many of their live sets mixes many genres of music, including Underground House, Techno, Classics, and more to create a sound all their own. This is not a track to jump up and down like many in the Progressive House region, but it is one that requires multiple listens in order to grasp the entire picture they have painted for us. A track with insatiable groove and wonderful textures, this is surely a release to listen and experience for yourself. Psycatron‘s 3AM Front Left Speaker Mix of Tipping Point is now available on Tronic on Beatport, so head over there and grab this highly complex piece today. Ed note: The Beatport link switched the tracks, so if you want to purchase this piece, click on the Delusion Of 315 Mix for the 3AM Front Left Speaker Mix!
Keep the music alive. -Q
Beatport: http://www.beatport.com/release/directions/178286
Sources
http://psycatron.podomatic.com/
https://www.facebook.com/psycatron/info
Unsung Heroes is a weekly segment where we take a look back at an amazing production and bring it back into the light for older and newer fans alike. These tracks were often overlooked, overshadowed by a huge release or are just not that well known to the public here in America. Here, you can find all the hidden gems in many genres and find a new favorite track (or another tool/weapon for aspiring DJ’s).
