SUBSTANCE B

01 Substance B 02 Track 432 03 S-Drive Fiedel joins Ostgut Ton with his new Substance B 12š Where to start besides pointing out that Fiedel's debut solo release on Ostgut Ton has been long in the coming, and that it™s a glorious one at the same time. The Berlin-Brandenburg native was there when the wall came down, started DJing in the 1990s at Subversiv, began producing with Errorsmith as MMM in 1996, held a residency at OstGut from 2000 on, continued doing so at Berghain since 2004, runs his own labels Fiedelone and Fiedeltwo, used to work at Hard Wax record store and is a mainstay at Wax Treatment and Killasan Soundsystem. The old hand of Berlin's Techno scene now presents himself fresh and in top form with his first full-length O-TON record, following up on his already intense contributions to our compilations Fünf (2010), Various (2013) and Ostgut Ton production style breathes the spirit from the early days of Techno music: blending genres and techniques, not focussing on a narrow musical narrative, combining Techno, Acid, Electro, Jungle, Boogie, Dub music and Broken Beats. Substance B is the logical consequence of being an avid vinyl-focussed DJ, experienced producer and a meticulous sound engineer: a compelling sound for a modern age. The eponymous šSubstance B› (on A) starts with a clear statement: play this out in a big, dark room, focus on the subs and tear off the roof while you're at it. Departing from a clear idea which path to follow in the studio Fiedel constructed this high-energy, raving Techno belter around a doubled, heavy, bouncy bassline motif, with additional percussion and bubbling Acid lines slowly swelling until a jacking melody kicks in. Old school hasn't felt so fresh and current for a long time. šTrack 432› on B1 evolved and assumed shape based on a phone-recorded sketch  a technique Fiedel enjoys to use now and then to pin down ideas on the go. Sonically we're at the exact opposite end though: melody-wise this 7-minute lush, deep yet functional cut is reminiscent of shrill sirens, soon intertwined with cowbell jabs, all sitting atop a banging kickdrum and staccato-stabs from the drum machine. šS-Drive› closes this record on B2 with a tidied up and slower jam: its prancing, mesmerizing synth melody is the dominating element here, accompanied by a subtle kick and syncopated snare, hi-hat and other percussive components. Sounds best on wax.