Golden Era Techno, Part 1

Here’s the first in an unapologetically nostalgic sub-series of my Sunday Selections mixes devoted to ‘golden era’ deep UK techno.

I have to admit I was feeling pretty miserable about the state of the nation last week; digging out the records that blew my mind in the early/mid-90s transported me to happier times and I hope these tunes bring you a fraction of the joy they do to me.

This is the first pick: some timeless classics and rarities from Black Dog, B12, As One, Stasis, Nuron, Link, Luke Slater and Aphex – inspired by Detroit but looking beyond the dance. More to come in the New Year.

• Stasis – World Out of Time (Peacefrog, 1995)
• As One – Light (Likemind, 1996)
• Phenomyna – Earthfall [Nuron mix] (ART, 1994)
• Aphex Twin – Delphium (Apollo, 1992)
• Black Dog – Sharp Shooting on Saturn (GPR, 1993)
• Redcell – Infinite Lites (B12, 1995)
• Nuron – Mirage (Likemind, 1994)
• Link – The Augur (Symbiotic, 1993)
• Luke Slater’s 7th Plain – Excalibur’s Radar (GPR, 1993)
• Reload – Le Soleil et la Mer [Black Dog Productions remix] (Infonet, 1993)

Note: these are all ripped from vinyl, some of which has seen better days, so apologies for the occasional crackle and distortion… but it all adds to the vibe, right?

Check out all the other Sunday Selections, spanning jazz, soul, hip hop, electronica and much more, here.

And for a brilliant overview of the 90s London techno scene, read Oli Warwick’s excellent long-form piece for RBMA Daily back in 2015, which features interviews with many of the artists featured in this mix.