Mark Reeve is a familiar name to anyone truly serious about techno. With a career spanning nearly two decades and championed by techno heavyweights like Adam Beyer and Sven Väth, Mark’s groundbreaking productions can be found on Drumcode, Cocoon, Bedrock. Truesoul, Terminal M, Soma, Second State, ELEVATE, Intec, Bek Audio and of course his own label, SubVision.
Mark is an artist that wears his heart on his sleeve. You can feel rawness and emotion in his music, attributes fully harnessed in his new LP. ‘Raw Mind’is forged in a spirit of the techno underground taking back some control. ‘Raw Mind’ sates an appetite for techno purists searching out vibrant techno with its roots in dark cavernous clubs with pummelling sound systems and bass that hits you hard in the chest, shaking the foundations you stand on.
Released on his mighty SubVision, ‘Raw Mind’ captures where Mark is a producer, artist, DJ and label owner. As always, Mark’s projects are delivered with passion and integrity. The result of many hours in the studio getting the right sounds, making little sonic adjustments to ensure the final results deliver where it matters the most – pumped out of the speakers and onto the dance- floor to give the crowd something truly special to get lost in.
Opener ‘Asia Worlds’ hits a dubbed out early night vibe – the sort of track seasoned DJs play as the club is filling, setting the mood and creating the right vibe in a venue. Melodic, chiming, echoey and with a slight edge – Asia Worlds gives a sense of anticipation for what is to follow.
‘Decisions’ kicks things up a few degrees with Mark summoning his Detroit influences. A hip motor city house groove is fused with modern techno aesthetics as lush chords and beats create a gentle swaying hypnotic flow. Subtle intermittent stuttered kicks add just enough tension to give the crowd an unexpected nudge.
‘Anticipation’ is pure underground Berlin and captures the real mood of a scene. ‘Anticipation’ is the soundtrack to a lost weekend at techno temples like Berghain and Tresor – crashing discordant chaos and shuffled industrial percussives meet classy composition and arrangement, yet with a freedom in structure that’s independent of time constraints.
For ‘Run Down’ Mark teams up with Swedish techno sensation and legend Samuel L Session. Two techno minds creating an uncompromising punchy focused techno gem that is upbeat and aimed at maintaining energy in the room. As the title alludes to, ’Don’t Stop’ is a thumping 4/4 beast, with its relentless and ruthless attack tempered slightly by the cool retro Chicago house MC sample.