Above image credit: Fact Magazine
After a few mellow mixes recently I thought I would ramp up the intensity and tempo again this week taking it back to Detroit in preparation of the second Hydra night that the Mantissa crew will be attending this year. The newest mix that I have listened in recent weeks however is from neither Moodymann or Omar-S of Detroit but from a DJ making a resurgence in Europe with perhaps the best name out there, DJ Stingray. Like the two DJs/producers mentioned above he seems just as much of a character, performing in a balaclava and keeping his identity hidden in a similar way to Mad Mike of Underground Resistance.
DJ Stingray, a former touring DJ with Drexciya has re-established himself over the past year as one of the best techno DJs on the scene. Playing solely techno, the majority of which is from Detroit his sets are relentless. All tunes are at or above 128bpm and rarely miss a kick on every beat or a clap on the 2nd and 4th beats of the bar, harking back to the early days of techno. This style is very similar to that of British, Berlin based DJ and producer Objekt, with whom Stingray would likely produce one of the sets of the year.
The mix itself was a club recording from Berlin with quick blends between tunes which last under 3 minutes a piece helping ensure that the crowd are kept interested and on their toes. It includes a total of 25 tunes within a 56 minute span, a ferocity similar to that of the Objekt Kern Vol.3 mix recently released. Before you know it he is on the next tune. Particular highlights of this mix include 214 – Greenbelt [Central Processing Unit] with its wonky bassline and sparse synth melody, Pretty Tony – Fix It In the Mix [Music Specialists] with its hollow reverberating kick and laser gun sounds, and Soundex Phonetic – Ascent & Descent [Militant Science] doing what it says on the tin. Luckily if you are impressed by this mix DJ Stingray will be spinning some wax at Studio Spaces on the 17th December for the Fabric Hydra joint event at Studio Spaces.
Turn it up and enjoy, full track list available here…