TEA Selections: Marsel [Delsin]

The second half of this year saw Delsin celebrate its 100 release - which it highlighted with four 100DSR/VAR EPs and subsequent compilation - so we asked the label's chief, Marsel van Der Wielen, for a few words on those releases instrumental to Delsin's success.

This year the influential Delsin chalked up its 100th DSR release, and although there’s much more to be explored in Delsin’s back catalogue, 2013 marked the time when Marsel van der Wielen’s label earned the bragging rights to call itself seminal. It joins an elite group of record pushers like Soma Quality Recordings, Planet E, Warp Records, R&S - to fellow compatriots Bunker and Rush Hour - to surpass the 100-release mark with no sign of slowing down.

Since Delsin’s debut release, Marsel’s Publik Draft cassette as Peel Seamus in 1996, the label has become the spiritual home for artists like Redshape, Quince and Newworldaquarium, while others like Steve Rachmand’s Sterac alias, Aardvark, Delta Funktionen and Conforce have become key contributors. In recent years it's also become a breeding ground for up-and-coming artists like Gerry Read, Bleak, Unbroken Dub, and DJ Yoav B., while also accommodating the music of established names like Mike Dehnert, Morphosis, Shed, Terrence Dixon as Population One and John Beltran.

In the lead up to Christmas, and in between moving house, Marsel looks back over his label’s 100 releases and 17 year history, highlighting eight records that sit close to his heart or those that have been an integral factor to Delsin's success and growth. And, understandably, at the end of this article, Marsel gives an honourable mention to some of the other associates he didn’t have the chance to acknowledge in this brief, yet insightful TEA Selections.

CiM - Service Pack (5dsr, May 1999)

After some initial tries through different distribution (companies), this (release) kinda kicked it off for real. It also marked the start of Rush Hour Distribution, as it was the very first release they distributed. It’s a remarkable release that contains eight tracks of melancholic electronica, of which both the distributor and I thought it would only sell 300 copies. Luckily it sold 500 within two days, and several represses followed. And, it’s still a wonderful record as well.

Newworldaquarium Trespassers (13dsr, September 2000)

It’s hard to ignore the best selling single of the Delsin catalogue. It’s also a release of two men with a dream. It's hard to describe that vibe we had again, but we were young, and just doing what we felt was ok, without thinking too much. Same for Rush Hour who just started, and the several other people starting-out in Amsterdam and in The Netherlands as well. Those days were kind-of the start of a Dutch second wave, with the likes of Clone, Steffi, Créme (Organization) all making their first serious steps into music.

Various Going Thru Life (15dsr, February 2001)

This first compilation CD (of Delsin material) perfectly catches the whole naive romantic vibe of how I started the label; without thinking about sale figures, and not knowing too much about music techniques such as mastering etc. This is a collection of very soulful electronic tunes, a wide collection of styles, but (tracks) which all have that same kind of vibe. A great compilation I'm still very proud of.

Various Planet Delsin (50dsr, September 2005)

This compilation marked a change in the history of Delsin Records. I call it the ‘inside-out turn’. In a way I was at a closing point, as I was starting to lose the motivation, or direction, of how to release stuff. With this compilation I kind of narrowed down the focus of the label, with a new, clear mission: to focus on more of a compact genre and the dancefloor side of things without losing the soul of the Delsin sound.

Redshape Shaped World (53dsr, March 2006)

Redshape's debut EP, to me, is still one of his best and it’s a perfect example of Delsin’s second life from 2005 onwards, with new producers (arriving to the label) such as Quince, Taho and Redshape. They were part of a whole new breed of a mini-revival of Detroit techno inspired producers. It was also the time when Berlin, Berghain and Panorama Bar kicked off, and in The Netherlands we had Club 11, which was also playing a lot of the same music. This brought it back to the essence of house and techno.

Newworldaquarium The Dead Bears (nwaq02lp, December 2007)

Although this doesn’t have a Delsin catalogue number, I like to list this Delsin/NWAQ-label co-release as it’s a perfect example that there’s always been the mission to release full artist albums. A lot of Delsin's output has always has been categorised between the dancefloor and for home-listening purposes, although I don't try to think that way too much. This album also was a good example of how my opinion ‘ain't always the right one’, as I didn't expect much from this release sales-wise, and wanted to start low profile, without too much promotion.... Luckily it turned out I was wrong.

Delta Funktionen Electromagnetic Radiation Part I (Ann006, March 2008)

This one I like to mention for two reasons. This one was a perfect example of how fast things can go. I got these tracks submitted by a mutual friend from Leeuwarden, (Holland,) and after listening to these tracks only once, I already knew I wanted to release them. And that's still how it actually works... With music there ain't much too think about. It either catches me or it doesn't. The second reason is to mention Boris Tellegen, aka Delta (Funktionen), and together with him and the designers at Machine and Graphic Surgery, I've had fun working with them over the years. Their wonderful works has helped complete Ann Aimee releases.

Claro Intelecto Reform Club (92dsr, April 2012)

This all kind of started with a submitted demo from an unknown producer through SoundCloud. My assistant picked it up and we were both very enthusiastic about it. It turned out to be Claro Intelecto, he was already on the top of my list of 'who should be on Delsin'. It was a dream come true to work with one of my personal favorite producers. Also, while we are here I’ll talk about John Beltran. As a young kid I was so in love with his Earth & Nightfall album on R&S, which perfectly summed up for me at that time what soulful electronic music should be.

“Phew.. and there are a lots more which jump to mind, like all of the wonderful stuff
done by D5, Redshape's The Dance Paradox album, 154's Strike album, working with heroes Sterac and Rolando, the odd cooperation with the Morphine label, which worked out perfectly with the release of Morphosis' debut album, dancefloor burners like Quince's My Life's Rhythm and Delta Funktionen's Silhouette, and assisting Aroy Dee with running the M>O>S-label, and probably lots of other things which I've forgotten to mention at this moment. It's a quest to keep looking for new, special releases, which will hopefully keep me going for several more years. Most of it's all about the beautiful things being created by all those very special individual producers. It's great honour to serve those, and to bring their music to the people.” - Marsel van der Wielen December, 2013.

TEA

Mike Dehnert Turns 25

Memorable are the days pre zip file, digital promo and Sendspace, or should I say Megaupload. Buying a long awaited album from your record store was like meeting a new friend. You would catch up a few times and if you got along you would see more of each other, sometimes a love affair would blossom, even flourish, you might still be together, or was it a summer of love?

Some get it with Radiohead, others with Plastikman, me? It’s Mike Dehnert and anything Fachwerk. Dehnert has been crafting his masonite, shuffley-dubbed techno nigh on five years now, with Fachwerk becoming something of an institution. Along with Roman Lindau and Sascha Rydell, the three remain diligent in their Fachwerkian cause - Reno Wurzbacher the only one thus far to infiltrate the trio's steely cage via Fachwerk sub label Colombage.

Mike Dehnert in the studio, as you would expect is a work horse, knocking out nine studio albums and 27 eps in conveyor belt style. Dehnert’s sound is often recognisable within the first bar, whether it be via his trademark flabby kicks, crunched hats, piqued blips or pitched vocals. A DJs wet dream, anything Dehnert is a joy to mix, rinse the faders and ride it out! But the born and bred Berliner is still capable of applying curve to a traditionally linear craftsmanship, examples of this are best heard in "Sondebar" and "Plonger" from the “Oblique” ep on Clone Basement Series. Both are still relatively four-four but tricky nevertheless.

Mike Dehnert - Sonderbar [Clone Basement Series]

Mike Dehnert - Plonger [Clone Basement Series]

Some of Dehnert’s more recent works have been criticised for being a bit “samey”  - I’ve even heard “I think Dehnert is about the most boring techno I can imagine,”. Sure, there is an argument to had here, especially if dense, four to the floor, soup thick techno is not your thing, but within the framework* Dehnert sets himself, he couldn’t be more dynamic.

March 30th this year Fachwerk took over Panoramabar along with Reno Wurzbacher and special guest John Tejade. Mike Dehnert performed under his MD2 guise and Roman Lindau was cheekily bracketed as “Ostgut Ton” thanks for his addition to Ben Klock’s Berghain 04 mix. So I pose the question - how many other labels, troupes or ensembles, with comparable techno clout to Fachwerk, have the ability to successfully host both Berghain and Panoramabar? Not many - if any. 

Mike Dehnert aint to bad at producing house music either, albeit with his hallmark oomph. “Discrete” and “Beatmatching” - both “Delsin-Framework” affiliated, as well as “Werkbank” on SIXONESIX and “Lautschrift” on Clone Basement Series, tick all boxes marked house (heck* he even does jazz with “Granulat”). Dehnert’s latest long playing and creatively titled missive “Fachwerk 25”, see's the usually stringent MD experiment with sound design past the usual intro and outro. By applying more synths, other than the techno synonymous "dub chord", Dehnert effectively rounds out a complete album, more so than ever before.

Mike Dehnert - Discrete [Delsin]

Mike Dehnert - Beatmatching [Delsin]

Mike Dehnert - Werkbank [SIXONESIX]

Where Framework was essentially 9 clubs tracks with an intro and outro, Fachwerk 25 shines a light on the Mike Dehnert we have only seen glimpses of. Fachwerk 25 still supplies the heat in Panel, Layer, Grunform, Resize and Fachwerk 25, mirroring Framework’s Teilfolge, Palindrome, Klartext and Framework, but only three tracks on Fachwerk 25 exceed the five minutes. Another five clock in at two minutes or under, suggesting Dehnerts club-centricism has taken a back seat to his sound design.  

“Fraction” is one of Fachwerk 25’s highlights, first off the rank after the intro. Dehnert treads new ground in his use of an upfront and outspoken arpeggiator, almost three dimensional in character, combined with marching snares and an italo nature, it makes for an euphoric listening-dancing experience. Following up is “Modulat” and as the name suggests, could be Dehnert patching and processing an array of modular mechanics, as bleepy sequences lightly reference Karftwerk and Jean Michel Jarre. “Courant” sounds like an enchanted dripping tap, in a dank and dimly lit Berlin basement, as candescent and shimmering waves of synthesis sweep by.

“Typing” is a concoction of filtered toms, delayed klacks, warped vocals and Shed-esque rave stabs. “STH”, an abbreviated version of “Klangwerk” from his digital “Werkstoff” ep, acts as a dubby chord intermission the likes of Basic Channel, DeepChord or Maurizio would applaud. One could suggest “Slim” is a nod to Actress, a track that could easily nestle into Darren Cunnigham's "RIP" album through Dehnert’s use of dusty shakers, phasing electronics and skew-whiff, blobby bass squelches.  Much like Framework with Beatmatching, Dehnert concludes Fachwerk 25 with an upbeat adios, this time to the tune of some fruity and looped up jazz samples in “Granulat”.